The city of Turlock is included in a list of five cities California Attorney General Rob Bonta is taking legal action against for alleged failure to comply with the state’s Housing Element Law. The California Housing Element Law requires cities and counties to adequately meet the housing needs of everyone in their community, regardless of income level. This includes each local government updating its housing plan every eight years. California is in its sixth “housing element update cycle,” requiring local governments to plan for approximately 2.5 million additional homes statewide.Bonta and the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) announced Wednesday that complaints were filed in the California Superior Court against Calexico, Costa Mesa, Half Moon Bay, Ridgecrest and Turlock for not being in compliance with the law after multiple warnings. “California can’t solve the housing crisis while some cities sit on their hands and dare us to do something about it,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement. “These five jurisdictions had every chance to follow the law and plan for their fair share of housing. They chose not to, so now they’ll answer for it in court. Housing law applies statewide, and no city gets a pass.” A release from the California Department of Justice said the legal actions against each jurisdiction are part of a coordinated effort by Newsom, Bonta and HCD to achieve statewide compliance with the Housing Element Law by the end of the year. See the complaint against the city of Turlock here According to the California DOJ’s release, here are some of the things a compliant housing element must include: An assessment of housing needsAn inventory of resources and constraints and resources relevant to meeting said needsPrograms to implement policies, goals and objectives of the housing elementA housing element, once adopted, is implemented through zoning ordinances and other actions that put its objectives into effect and facilitate the construction of new homes for Californians at all income levels. Why the California AG is accusing TurlockIn the complaint against the city of Turlock, HCD states that the initial deadline to submit a compliant sixth-cycle housing element was Dec. 31, 2023. The complaint alleges the city did not respond to HCD until June 4, 2024, providing a submission date of Sept. 17, 2024, and an adoption date by December 31, 2024.A series of letters, drafts and revisions were sent back and forth between the two parties for the next two years, the complaint reads. “On July 3, 2026, HCD issued a letter to the City stating that the agency had completed its review of the draft and that the draft element, including the most recent revisions, meets the statutory requirements. However, because the City has not completed the necessary rezones to accommodate its RHNA allocation, the housing element cannot be found in substantial compliance,” the complaint reads.HCD and the attorney general’s office are asking for the court to suspend the city of Turlock’s nonresidential permitting authority, fine the city, and issue a writ of mandate ordering the city to submit to HCD a housing element, which substantially complies with the Housing Element Law within 120 days. KCRA 3 reached out to the city of Turlock for comment. The city said it plans on sending a response but has not yet.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel | Make KCRA a preferred news source in Google

The city of Turlock is included in a list of five cities California Attorney General Rob Bonta is taking legal action against for alleged failure to comply with the state’s Housing Element Law.

The California Housing Element Law requires cities and counties to adequately meet the housing needs of everyone in their community, regardless of income level. This includes each local government updating its housing plan every eight years.

California is in its sixth “housing element update cycle,” requiring local governments to plan for approximately 2.5 million additional homes statewide.

Bonta and the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) announced Wednesday that complaints were filed in the California Superior Court against Calexico, Costa Mesa, Half Moon Bay, Ridgecrest and Turlock for not being in compliance with the law after multiple warnings.

“California can’t solve the housing crisis while some cities sit on their hands and dare us to do something about it,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement. “These five jurisdictions had every chance to follow the law and plan for their fair share of housing. They chose not to, so now they’ll answer for it in court. Housing law applies statewide, and no city gets a pass.”

A release from the California Department of Justice said the legal actions against each jurisdiction are part of a coordinated effort by Newsom, Bonta and HCD to achieve statewide compliance with the Housing Element Law by the end of the year.

According to the California DOJ’s release, here are some of the things a compliant housing element must include:

An assessment of housing needsAn inventory of resources and constraints and resources relevant to meeting said needsPrograms to implement policies, goals and objectives of the housing element

A housing element, once adopted, is implemented through zoning ordinances and other actions that put its objectives into effect and facilitate the construction of new homes for Californians at all income levels.

Why the California AG is accusing Turlock

In the complaint against the city of Turlock, HCD states that the initial deadline to submit a compliant sixth-cycle housing element was Dec. 31, 2023. The complaint alleges the city did not respond to HCD until June 4, 2024, providing a submission date of Sept. 17, 2024, and an adoption date by December 31, 2024.

A series of letters, drafts and revisions were sent back and forth between the two parties for the next two years, the complaint reads.

“On July 3, 2026, HCD issued a letter to the City stating that the agency had completed its review of the draft and that the draft element, including the most recent revisions, meets the statutory requirements. However, because the City has not completed the necessary rezones to accommodate its RHNA allocation, the housing element cannot be found in substantial compliance,” the complaint reads.

HCD and the attorney general’s office are asking for the court to suspend the city of Turlock’s nonresidential permitting authority, fine the city, and issue a writ of mandate ordering the city to submit to HCD a housing element, which substantially complies with the Housing Element Law within 120 days.

KCRA 3 reached out to the city of Turlock for comment. The city said it plans on sending a response but has not yet.

See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel | Make KCRA a preferred news source in Google