Half Moon Bay Faces State Penalties for Housing Delay

Governor Newsoms Final Warning: Half Moon Bay Faces Consequences for Housing Plan Delays

Governor Gavin Newsom has issued a final warning to fifteen cities, including Half Moon Bay in the Bay Area, for missing their housing plan deadlines. Half Moon Bay, in particular, is facing consequences due to their two-year delay in compliance. The state has filed lawsuits against these cities, threatening to withhold state funding if they dont meet the requirements.

Half Moon Bay has made progress by building modular homes for low-income farmworkers, but the state claims their plan is not compliant until rezoning is completed. The city manager, Matthew Chidester, explains that their location in the Coastal Zone requires Coastal Commission approval for every land move, extending the timeline. Additionally, a 1998 voter measure caps growth at one to one point five percent of population, further limiting their options.

The city is currently pushing for rezoning, but they wont finish until October, missing the sixty-day window. A five-story building project for elderly farmworkers has been stalled for four years, and advocates like Belinda Hernandez-Arriaga are calling for community action to break the logjam.

If Half Moon Bay fails to comply, they face fines, lost grants, lawsuits, and the possibility of the builders remedy, which would strip local zoning control on affordable housing. The city is now under pressure to revisit the old measure and keep state heat off.

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