Gavin Newsom, Governor of California | Official website
Governor Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta have announced a settlement with the city of Artesia regarding violations of state housing law. Under the agreement, Artesia is required to submit a compliant housing element to the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) on an expedited timeline. If approved by the court, this plan will lead to the creation of 1,069 new homes in Artesia, including 608 units designated as affordable for very low-, low-, and moderate-income residents.
“Artesia has wasted time and money stalling on their obligations when they could have instead been providing necessary housing for the families in their community. Every jurisdiction must do their part to create more housing and make their communities more affordable,” said Governor Gavin Newsom.
All California cities are required by law to adopt a compliant housing element as part of their general plan. This tool is intended to help address housing needs across all income levels by assessing local requirements, identifying resources and constraints, and outlining programs that implement policies to meet those needs.
The settlement comes after Artesia failed to submit a compliant housing element within statutory deadlines. The agreement establishes specific deadlines for revising its plan for the 2021-2029 period and outlines legal and financial consequences if further delays occur.
“I commend the City of Artesia for doing the right thing. Instead of continuing to kick the can down the road, the City has finally committed to do its part to plan for the region’s housing needs,” said Attorney General Rob Bonta. “Cities and counties that still have not adopted compliant housing elements should pay close attention. The deadline for compliance passed years ago, and so, this settlement includes new enforcement tools. Planning for housing is not an abstract exercise. Californians need quality homes that they can afford. Governor Newsom, HCD Director Velasquez, and I will continue fighting to ensure that every local government — no matter how small or big — follows state law and helps address our state’s housing crisis.”
A compliant housing element requires assessment of local needs, inventorying available resources, identifying constraints on development, and setting forth actionable programs through zoning ordinances or other means.
After repeated efforts from HCD’s Housing Accountability Unit—which was established in 2021—Artesia received Notices of Violation in May 2023 and October 2024 due to non-compliance with its own proposed timelines.
“This outcome further reinforces California’s housing laws that ensure every locality is doing its part to build homes and address this crisis,” said HCD Director Gustavo Velasquez. “HCD stands ready to help Artesia and all local jurisdictions comply with state housing law, and we will continue to demand accountability from jurisdictions falling short of that critical responsibility.”
The petition and proposed judgment outlining settlement terms are available online.
Since its launch in 2021 by Governor Newsom at HCD, the Housing Accountability Unit has supported development of over 10,000 units—including more than 3,300 affordable units—by enforcing compliance with state law among local governments (https://www.hcd.ca.gov/about-hcd/divisions/housing-accountability-unit). In 2024, this unit expanded its focus to include issues related to homelessness.
Recently, Governor Newsom also announced a settlement with Norwalk requiring reversal of an illegal ban on homeless shelters (https://www.gov.ca.gov/2025/08/30/newsom-administration-secures-settlement-with-norwalk-on-homeless-shelter-ban/).
In addition to enforcement actions against cities out of compliance with state law, Newsom's administration is pursuing broader strategies such as streamlining construction processes for new homes; funding shelters; addressing mental health impacts on homelessness through Proposition 1; updating conservatorship laws; creating CARE courts; and launching a statewide task force targeting encampments along major rights-of-way in California’s largest cities (https://www.gov.ca.gov/2025/08/15/newsom-announces-statewide-task-force-to-address-encampments-in-major-cities/).
The task force aims within thirty days to coordinate clearing large or high-priority encampments while expanding access to shelter services across Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland, San Diego, Sacramento, San Jose, Long Beach, Anaheim, Bakersfield, and Fresno.
Between 2014–2019—prior to Governor Newsom's tenure—unsheltered homelessness increased by about 37,000 people statewide. Since then California has slowed growth compared with national trends: In 2024 homelessness rose just three percent statewide versus over eighteen percent nationally (https://www.huduser.gov/portal/sites/default/files/pdf/2024-AHAR-Part-1.pdf). The state also saw only marginal increases in unsheltered homelessness compared with higher rates elsewhere—and reported reductions in both veteran homelessness as well as youth homelessness.
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