SACRAMENTO – Following news that California’s Governor Newsom and Attorney General Xavier Becerra filed a lawsuit against the City of Huntington Beach for failing to meet its housing goals, representatives from two of California’s most populous cities applauded the action. Assemblymember Miguel Santiago (D-Los Angeles) and David Chiu (D-San Francisco) released the following statements:
“It’s really quite simple: the only way California continues to thrive is if our families can afford to put a roof over their head,” said Assemblymember Miguel Santiago. “That’s why I authored and passed AB 72 in 2017, to shine a light on cities and counties that dig their heels in and refuse to meet their housing goals. The legal action today by the Governor and the Attorney General is a direct product of that law, and is an important first step in alleviating a housing crisis that threatens our way of life.”
“Our housing crisis affects all Californians,” said Assemblymember David Chiu. “It is the responsibility of every community to plan for and build enough housing for its residents at all levels of affordability. Many local governments are taking bold and innovative steps to make way for more housing production. Others are not - while violating state law - and they need to be held accountable. I applaud the State's move to take legal action and utilize the law we authored in 2017 to ensure all communities are doing their part to address our housing crisis."
AB 72, jointly authored by Assemblymember Santiago and Assemblymember Chiu, is a cornerstone piece of a historic package of housing bills that passed in 2017. The law provides the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) with the necessary resources to more effectively enforce the state’s housing laws and regulations and spur the development of more affordable housing.
Assemblymember Miguel Santiago is the Chair of the Assembly’s Communications and Conveyance Committee, and a member of both the Assembly Public Safety Committee and the California Latino Legislative Caucus. He represents the 53rd District composed of the cities of Los Angeles, Huntington Park, and Vernon.
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