A new Senate Bill would allow fines to be assessed to discipline local governments that violate California housing laws.
Under Senate Bill 1037, the California Attorney General could take action against violations of state laws regarding housing, according to the newly introduced bill put forward on Wednesday by Attorney General Rob Bonta and state Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco.
If this Senate Bill passes, it could lead to a minimum civil penalty of approximately $10,000 monthly and won’t surpass the $50,000 per month mark. The cost fee would be from the date the housing law violation began.
“In recent years, California has passed numerous laws to speed up the construction of affordable housing. Unfortunately, some local governments have flouted those laws because they know that monetary penalties only kick in weeks or even months after a court order is issued, if ever,” said Attorney General Rob Bonta. “We are in a housing crisis and cannot afford to waste any more time. Senator Wiener and I are announcing SB 1037 to ensure that we can quickly hold accountable those who refuse to follow the law and act in good faith.”
Furthermore, the money would be allocated for affordable housing within the impacted jurisdiction. “In a housing crisis as severe as California’s, cities that violate state law to avoid doing their share should not skate by scot-free,” said Senator Wiener. “The state housing laws we’ve passed in recent years rely on swift and effective enforcement from officials such as the Attorney General. I’m happy to be working with Attorney General Bonta to provide a new tool to allow more housing to be built in California.”