Housing Element

Monday Morning Commentary | State Enforcement, Local Planning Signal California’s Housing Landscape Has Changed

By David M. GreenwaldJuly 20, 20260 comments

The State of California has escalated its enforcement of housing statutes, filing lawsuits against five cities—Calexico, Costa Mesa, Half Moon Bay, Ridgecrest, and Turlock—for non-compliance with Housing Element mandates. This enforcement, alongside local planning adjustments such as Dixon’s environmental review for over 7,100 housing units, indicates a fundamental transformation in the state’s approach to its housing deficit.

Menlo Park Initiative Could Block Affordable Housing and Force Taxpayers to Fund Endless Litigation

By David M. GreenwaldJuly 9, 20263 comments

A proposed Menlo Park ballot measure, characterized by housing advocates as an ‘anti-housing initiative,’ has initiated a significant conflict over affordable housing, downtown redevelopment, and local land use. Housing advocates assert the measure would eliminate the city’s primary opportunity to construct affordable residences near transit while exposing taxpayers to potentially protracted and costly litigation.