Under a bill heading to the Assembly floor, the California Apartment Association could bring legal action against a local government that denies housing projects in violation of state law.
The CAA-sponsored proposal, AB 2584, advances to the floor after winning unanimous approval Tuesday in the Assembly Judiciary Committee. CAA sponsored this bill as California struggles for solutions to its unprecedented housing crisis, which has resulted from a severe lack of new housing construction, both market rate and affordable.
Assemblyman Tom Daly
The bill, authored by Assemblyman Tom Daly, D-Anaheim, expands the enforcement of the Housing Accountability Act by allowing groups that represent tenants or housing providers — such as CAA — to bring a legal action when a local government fails to comply with the act.
For nearly 30 years, the HAA has been a tool to ensure that new housing gets built. Under the act, local governments must follow certain legal mandates before denying a housing development application. Since its inception, 13 bills were signed into law to strengthen its provisions and to add more clarity.
But at present, only the applicant of a proposed housing project or potential future tenants may bring legal action if a local government violates the HAA.
Under AB 2584, groups like CAA have a legal tool to enforce this important law.
“One of the most significant barriers to the construction of new affordable housing is unjustified local resistance from NIMBY (Not In My Backyard) groups,” CAA says in a letter supporting the bill. “AB 2584 applies appropriate pressure on local governments and citizens who attempt to stop the projects with no good cause.”