California Attorney General Wants to Get Serious About Housing

A bill sponsored by the AG’s office would give the state’s top attorney more power to intervene in lawsuits related to the state’s housing laws.

2 minute read

March 29, 2023, 10:00 AM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


California

NAPA / Shutterstock

California’s Attorney General is asking the state legislature to empower his office to more strictly enforce state housing laws, which many California cities have been attempting to skirt or challenge since the state strengthened its enforcement of the Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA), reports Dustin Gardiner in the San Francisco Chronicle.

The proposal comes in the form of Assembly Bill 1485, which would give the state’s Attorney General the “unconditional right” to get involved in lawsuits regarding state housing law.

“Two years ago, Bonta’s office launched a Housing Strike Force, a special division within his office that’s designed to hold cities accountable for skirting laws the Legislature has passed in recent years to fast-track some local processes that are often used to fight denser housing, including planning, zoning and permitting approvals.” However, when Bonta tried to intervene in housing-related lawsuits, he has sometimes been delayed by judges. 

The proposed law would let the Attorney General’s office intervene in third-party cases more easily and confront anti-housing interests more directly. According to Todd David, special projects director for the Housing Action Coalition, “This is another tool that indicates to recalcitrant municipalities that the state is really concerned about this issue.”

State Sen. Scott Wiener, co-author of the bill, says the Attorney General, unlike individual developers engaged in lawsuits, “has a broader public interest to protect the enforcement of state housing policy and to prevent a patchwork of legal interpretations that could be harmful.”

Tuesday, March 28, 2023 in San Francisco Chronicle

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Worker in yellow safety vest and hard hat looks up at servers in data center.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power

Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

July 18 - Inside Climate News

Former MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood standing in front of MARTA HQ with blurred MARTA sign visible in background.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns

MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

July 18 - WABE

Rendering of proposed protected bikeway in Santa Clara, California.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant

A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

July 17 - San José Spotlight