Huntington Beach city officials voted to push back proposed changes to the general plan that’s slated to be a step toward meeting state housing mandates while the city faces a $50,000 monthly fine for not complying with housing laws.
Councilmember Chad Williams stated that there had not been enough time for the council and public to thoroughly review the over 1,000-page plan, mentioning several concerns raised by public speakers and housing advocacy groups, like the Kennedy Commission.
“Adopting this tonight would mean we are voting on something that neither the public nor this council has had adequate time to fully understand and correct. And so we do want to be reasonable and responsive,” Williams said at the June 2 meeting.
In a letter to council, the Kennedy Commission wrote that the city had failed to provide seven days’ public notice, post the revision online and notify interested parties via email, and cited several shortcomings of the city’s updated plan.
Prior to the council’s decision to shunt discussion, public commenters voiced their frustration with the city’s lack of compliance.
“For Orange County, we need about 120,000 new affordable housing units, and that’s not Huntington Beach’s burden alone – it’s the county’s,” said Cesar Covarrubias, executive director of the Kennedy Commission, at the meeting. “The difference is that every single city in the county has a compliant housing element, and Huntington Beach does not.”
Council members voted unanimously to push discussion of approving the changes to their next meeting on June 16.
The city has made little progress toward their allocated housing needs, but officials announced a plan to be well within the requirements by the end of the cycle, which is just three years away.
Of the 5,845 very-low and low-income housing units the city’s required to zone for, only 1,187 have been permitted.
However, the city’s presentation during the June 2 meeting found that hotel/motel conversions, accessory dwelling units and site rezoning would offer 5,497 units for very-low and low-income individuals.
The city’s current push for accessory dwelling units – more commonly known as granny flats – comes after the city pushed back against state Senate Bill 9, allowing lots to be divided to be developed with multiple dwellings, and halted the processing of permits for the granny flats.
“We’re the laughing stock of every city in Orange County. There’s no city that’s with you – none.” said public commenter Eric Evans. “They all realized this was a fight that wasn’t worth fighting and putting their citizens on the line.”
Huntington Beach versus Sacramento: a years long battle
Huntington Beach has been locked into a yearslong legal battle with state officials over state housing mandates when city council members decided to sue over the issue in 2023, alleging state overreach.
Gov. Gavin Newsom and other state officials responded with a lawsuit against the city for failing to follow state laws.
[Read: California’s Battle With Huntington Beach Over Housing Goals Heads To Court]
After several losses, including the US Supreme Court declining to hear the case earlier this year, a San Diego County Superior Court judge ruled that the city would be fined $50,000 a month until they are “substantially compliant” under state housing mandates.
The funds are channeled into a trust designed to help fund housing development in other cities.
[Read: Huntington Beach to Pay $50,000 a Month Until They Get an Approved Housing Plan]
The city is also facing over $150,000 in fees to make up for noncompliance from January 2025 to May 2026.
According to a staff presentation, the city could also see an additional fine of $100,000 monthly starting in July. If still out of compliance in coming months, the city could see fines up to $900,000 and put the city into receivership – meaning local officials will lose zoning control of the city.
