BAKERESFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — Ridgecrest is one of five California cities still not complying with the state’s Housing Element Law, state officials said Thursday. Now the Newsom Administration is taking legal action against the city.

On July 16, California Attorney General Rob Bonta and the California Department of Housing and Community Development filed a writ petition in the Kern County Superior Court against Ridgecrest for allegedly being over three years late in adopting a housing element. 

Writ petitions are legal actions asking a court to require jurisdictions to follow the law.

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According to the writ petition, Ridgecrest submitted a draft housing element to HCD in October 2023. It was due June 30, 2023.

HCD sent it back with revisions to be made, and the city submitted a second draft in November 2025, according to the document. HCD sent it back again with needed revisions, but reportedly hasn’t gotten a draft since then.

To fix this, Ridgecrest can enter into a consent decree or stipulated judgment that sets a timeline for reaching compliance, the AG’s office said.

The state could file more writ petitions against Ridgecrest if it remains out of compliance.

If Ridgecrest continues to not follow the law, it could pay civil penalties, which would be collected to support affordable housing developments in the city, according to officials. 

Ridgecrest could also end up not being able to deny certain housing projects, especially those that include low- or moderate-income units, for zoning or land use inconsistency.

Other cities that received a writ petition were Calexico in Imperial County, Costa Mesa in Orange County, Half Moon Bay in San Mateo County and Turlock in Stanislaus County, according to the AG’s office.

Since 1969, the Housing Element Law required local governments to plan for about 2.5 million additional homes statewide to meet housing needs at all income levels.

California is in its 6th housing element update cycle.

All California cities and counties have to adopt and regularly update a housing element. The housing element serves as a “roadmap” for housing development in a community, outlining goals, policies, financial resources and scheduled programs to improve and develop housing, according to court documents.

It should identify sites fit for housing and make appropriate changes to current and future needs of “all economic segments of the community,” the writ petition read.

Through this process, HCD identified 15 local governments that were still out of compliance with the Housing Element Law as the planning period ended. They included Ridgecrest and California City, according to state officials.

Ten of those governments, including Cal City, came into compliance since then or are expected to do so in the coming months, but HCD identified five jurisdictions still not complying to the AG’s office, officials said. The state took legal action as a result.

HCD gave those cities “multiple opportunities” to address violations before contacting the AG’s office for enforcement, officials said. 

This came in the form of notices, written findings, opportunity to submit a written response and offering of two meetings for discussion. Ridgecrest staff met with HCD on three occasions form March to April this year after a notice of violation was issued, court documents said.

Bonta said California’s housing crisis “demands action, not excuses.” He said governments that are still not complying are interfering with homes that Californians need, especially when they are past the halfway point of the current housing planning cycle.

“As I’ve said many times, no local government has to solve this challenge alone, but every local government has to do its fair share,” said Bonta in a release Thursday. “Today, we’re showing how serious we are about ensuring that every city and county in California adopts a housing element. Restoring the California dream will take an all-hands-on-deck effort.”

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Gov. Gavin Newsom said California can’t solve the housing crisis when some cities are doing nothing to help.

“These five jurisdictions had every chance to follow the law and plan for their fair share of housing,” said Newsom in the release. “They chose not to, so now they’ll answer for it in court. Housing law applies statewide, and no city gets a pass.”

17 News has reached out to the city of Ridgecrest for comment but has not heard back as of Thursday afternoon.

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