California sues Huntington Beach using new housing law

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Gov. Gavin Newsom's administration used a new law for the first time Friday to try to force Southern California's self-styled "Surf City USA" to meet housing goals.

The administration sued the coastal Orange County city of Huntington Beach under the law that took effect Jan. 1. The measure was passed in 2017 in a package of measures intended to address the state's severe housing shortage and homelessness problem.

The lawsuit says Huntington Beach, home to about 200,000 people, is being sued because the City Council has repeatedly refused to amend the city's housing plan to add state-required low-income housing and is fighting a separate lawsuit filed by housing advocates.