California Governor Gavin Newsom announced Thursday the state revoked a southern California city’s compliance with housing laws, a move that could effectively force the city of Norwalk to approve new homeless shelters, which were recently banned in the city.
“After the state has provided cities and counties with unprecedented funding to address the homelessness crisis, it’s beyond cruel that Norwalk would ban the building of shelters while people are living on the city’s streets,” Newsom said in a statement.
Norwalk leaders said at a city council meeting this week they would hold off enforcing the ban while they work with the state to find an agreeable path forward. But that wasn’t enough for Newsom and the state’s Housing and Community Development department, who expected a repeal of the ordinance.
Norwalk leaders wouldn’t agree to an interview on the ban or the legal fight with the state. At the city council meeting, Norwalk City Attorney Arnold Alvarez-Glasman said, “It was always the city council’s first priority to take action to protect and preserve the safety of the city’s residents and neighborhoods.”