An ugly standoff between the state of California and the city of Norwalk over homelessness has now worked its way into the court system.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced his office has filed a lawsuit against Norwalk, calling the city’s ban on new emergency homeless shelters, single-room occupancy housing, transitional housing and supportive housing illegal.
“The law is the law,” Bonta said at a news conference Monday. “It applies to everyone. It applies to the city of Norwalk.”
Bonta’s office filed the lawsuit in Los Angeles County Superior Court, alleging Norwalk’s ban violates numerous laws including California’s urgency ordinance statute, the Housing Crisis Act and the Housing Element Law.
“California’s nation-leading housing laws are not optional,” said Bonta. “They are not recommendations, they are not suggestions. They are the law and they must be followed.”
Norwalk’s city council initially passed a 45-day moratorium on shelters and homeless housing in back August. In September, California housing officials warned the city that its ban was illegal. That is when the Norwalk city council doubled down and extended the moratorium to 10 months.