Governor Gavin Newsom announced plans Tuesday to invite leaders of California cities and counties to a "candid conversation" on building housing for their communities.
Leaders of 45 noncompliant cities and two counties were invited to the proposed summit after Newsom called California housing one of the most "overwhelming challenges."
The list includes 15 cities in Los Angeles County and six in Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties that have reportedly failed to draft general plans meeting minimum housing needs at all income levels.
"California should never be a place where only the well-off can lead a good life, Newsom said in his first state of the state speech. "It starts with housing, perhaps our most overwhelming challenge right now. we all know the problem. There's too much demand and too little supply. And that is happening in large part because too many cities and counties aren't even planning for how to build. Some are flat out refusing to do anything at all."
The state Housing and Community Development Department determined California needs to build at least 180,000 new housing units annually to keep up with the state's population and job growth, Whittier Daily News reports.
The California Association of Realtors backed Newsom's statements: "We support the governor's position that local government needs to be held accountable for addressing housing supply."
The list of noncompliant cities in Southern California includes:
Los Angeles County: Bell, Bradbury, Claremont, Compton, Covina, Huntington Park, La Habra Heights, La Puente, Maywood, Montebello, Paramount, Pomona, Rolling Hills, South El Monte and Westlake Village.
Inland Empire: Canyon Lake, Desert Hot Springs, Jurupa Valley, Needles and Rialto.
Orange County: Huntington Beach.
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