The Norwalk City Council voted to extend a ban on shelter facilities days after receiving a warning from state officials that the ban violates state housing laws.
A small Los Angeles County city is extending its ban on homeless shelters after Governor Gavin Newsom specifically called out the move as illegal, reports David Wagner in LAist. State housing officials sent Norwalk a letter warning that its ban on shelters violates state housing laws.
According to Wagner, “The Norwalk City Council voted on Aug. 6 to adopt a 45-day ban on issuing permits for shelters, interim housing and supportive apartments for unhoused people, saying they pose an ‘immediate threat to public health, safety and welfare.’” This Tuesday, the council extended the ban for an addition 10 months and 15 days.
At the city’s last count, 144 Norwalk residents were unsheltered. Meanwhile, “Norwalk has issued permits for 175 new homes in recent years, state officials note — far short of the city’s requirement to plan for more than 5,000 new housing units by 2029.”
The city could face legal action if it fails to respond to the state’s letter, which states that the city “must repeal the ordinance to immediately allow the development and operation of emergency shelters.”
Read the full story: After Newsom calls out Norwalk over homeless shelter ban, city extends it 10 months
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