California housing officials are now suing Norwalk, following through on warnings that a local ban on homeless shelters would land the city in court.
The lawsuit , filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Monday, alleges that Norwalk officials violated a number of state housing laws when they voted in August to pass a temporary ban on shelters and housing projects for unhoused people. After state officials said the policy was illegal, the City Council voted again to extend the ban by more than 10 months.
Rob Bonta, California’s attorney general, said in a news conference that the lawsuit was a last resort. “We would prefer that Norwalk simply follow the law,” he said. “But they have chosen. It is their choice. They’ve decided to willingly, intentionally and deliberately violate the law.”…