The City of Norwalk does not want homeless on their streets, in their parks or living in RV’s on the streets. Gavin Newsom WANTS the homeless everywhere in Norwalk. He is very upset that Norwalk now has a zero tolerance for the homeless.
“California Gov. Gavin Newsom called out Norwalk this week over the city’s ban on homeless shelters and other types of housing. State housing officials told city leaders that they’re violating the law ahead of a vote Tuesday night to extend the city’s prohibition on new shelters.
“It is counterproductive and immoral for any community to throw up their hands and say they’ve done enough while they still have people in need,” Newsom said in a statement on Monday.
“We can’t leave people in dangerous and unsanitary encampments,” the governor said. “The city of Norwalk needs to do its part to provide people with shelter and services.”
If Newsom wants these facilities, let HIM pay for them. Why force the people of Norwalk to finance the failures of the California Democrats? How many of the homeless are also the Newsom illegal aliens? Again, his policies should not harm the people of any city. Glad to see Norwalk taking a stand!
State says city’s homeless shelter ban is illegal
By David Wagner, LA1st, 9/17/24 https://laist.com/brief/news/housing-homelessness/california-norwalk-homeless-shelter-ban-newsom-housing-violation-hcd-rios
California Gov. Gavin Newsom called out Norwalk this week over the city’s ban on homeless shelters and other types of housing. State housing officials told city leaders that they’re violating the law ahead of a vote Tuesday night to extend the city’s prohibition on new shelters.
“It is counterproductive and immoral for any community to throw up their hands and say they’ve done enough while they still have people in need,” Newsom said in a statement on Monday.
“We can’t leave people in dangerous and unsanitary encampments,” the governor said. “The city of Norwalk needs to do its part to provide people with shelter and services.”
How we got here
The Norwalk City Council voted on Aug. 6 to adopt a 45-day ban on issuing permits for shelters, interim housing and supportive apartments for unhoused people, saying they pose an “immediate threat to public health, safety and welfare.”
The council is set to vote Tuesday night on a plan that would extend that ban by another 10 months and 15 days. The restriction also applies to new permits for liquor stores, laundromats, car washes, payday loan businesses and discount stores.
How local officials are reacting
Norwalk Mayor Margarita Rios told LAist she’s against the state telling her city what to do.
“As local leaders, we know best what our population looks like here, including those that are suffering,” Rios said. “We just ask that the governor really looks at what we’ve done as a city before they try to impose further demands or mandates on us.”
Norwalk has issued permits for 175 new homes in recent years, state officials note — far short of the city’s requirement to plan for more than 5,000 new housing units by 2029.
What happens next
California housing officials sent the city a letter Monday saying its shelter ban “violates several state housing laws,” and that the city “must repeal the ordinance to immediately allow the development and operation of emergency shelters” and other types of housing.
Failure to respond to the letter within one week could result in the case being referred to the state attorney general’s office, the letter said.
Rios said the city’s attorneys have the state’s letter under legal review. That said, she said the council plans to move forward on a vote to extend the shelter ban.
Why the state is getting more involved in local housing fights
California’s clash with Norwalk follows other state efforts to force local governments to produce more affordable housing and resources for unhoused people.
State officials have sparred with politicians in Huntington Beach over the city’s failure to plan for new housing according to state law. Newsom also recently threatened Beverly Hills with a potential lawsuit over the city’s efforts to stall a high-rise that would set aside 20% of units for low-income renters.
How to attend/watch the meeting
- Location: Norwalk City Hall, 12700 Norwalk Blvd.
- Time: 6 p.m. public session. (Closed session starts at 5 p.m.)
- View on the Norwalk city YouTube
- Read the agenda ▶
