Several cities have filed legal action against the State related to their Housing Elements and recent housing legislation, but these cases are rarely resolved in favor of cities.
The Working Group considered fairness between various parts of the city and deemed Savi Ranch an appropriate location to add housing units. These decisions were influenced by development opportunities, concerns over fire evacuation, and feedback from residents. It is also important to note that the housing proposed in the Savi Ranch area would allow for
Current drafts of proposed amendments do not contain provisions that would overturn or that would directly revise the RHNA for this cycle.
No, paying fines is not an "opt-out" provision. It's only one of the penalties imposed on jurisdictions that do not have a Certified Housing Element.
There are diverse views on the battle to maintain local control, but the general trend is that State mandates preempt local control and the State politics on this are trending toward more State control. Under current law and threats made by the State, here are a few likely outcomes if we fail to adopt a
"Affordable housing" is a term that has taken on some negative connotations for some community members and the mere term can raise their concerns. It is notable that there are several “low-income” developments in Yorba Linda already and there is no evidence of any negative repercussions from those developments. See Exhibit F in this report
No. A Housing Element has never been rejected because the environmental impacts were too negative. CEQA analysis generally notes what environmental impacts there are, then attempts to identify how those impacts can be mitigated. While concerns like increased traffic, wildfires, or water availability are valid, and the City of Yorba Linda is working to address
First: if those initiatives are successful, they will not reduce or change the current RHNA housing allocation. They may affect future ones, but all cities are obligated under existing law to address their RHNA housing allocation. Second: the viability of those initiatives appears low at this time. While there is enthusiasm among local elected leaders
Yes, there are lawsuits in action now by cities. Indeed, Yorba Linda is a member of the Orange County Council of Government (OCCOG), which has sued the State over the RHNA number for the SCAG region. Additionally, the City of Huntington Beach is on the front line of challenging the State and the Attorney General.
While Sacramento policy decisions are hard to predict, it is pretty clear from Sacramento policy experts that the legislature is even more bullish on housing mandates and that, rather than rolling back recent policy requirements, the State Legislature is adding on more mandates or expanding the applicability of mandates. The housing advocates in Sacramento reportedly
