Remote Surveillance Trailer in Calexico, CA

CALEXICO — On July 16, California Attorney General Rob Bonta, along with the California Department of Housing and Community Development, filed a writ petition against the city of Calexico for failing to comply with California’s Housing Element Law.

Calexico is one of five cities that did not comply with the Housing Element Law, which requires that every city and county update its housing plan every eight years to meet its Regional Housing Needs Allocation.

Petition for Writ of Mandate

Writ petitions are legal actions asking a court to require jurisdictions to follow the law, and the Attorney General has filed against five local governments on behalf of the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD).

California is currently in the sixth housing element update cycle, which requires local governments to plan for approximately 2.5 million additional homes statewide.

As this planning period concluded, HCD identified Calexico as one of the five local governments across the state that remained out of compliance with the Housing Element Law.

“California’s housing crisis demands action, not excuses,” Bonta said. “Jurisdictions that remain out of compliance with our Housing Element Law are standing in the way of the homes Californians need. We are well past the halfway point of the current housing planning cycle, and timely compliance is not optional. As I’ve said many times, no local government has to solve this challenge alone, but every local government has to do its fair share. Today, we’re showing how serious we are about ensuring that every city and county in California adopts a housing element. Restoring the California dream will take an all-hands-on-deck effort.”

According to the petition, Calexico’s deadline to adopt a compliant Sixth Cycle housing element was Oct. 15, 2021.

Between September 2021 and September 2022, the city submitted two draft housing elements to HCD. On Sept. 9, 2022, HCD issued a second findings letter to the city noting revisions

were still necessary for the housing element to be compliant with the Housing Element Law.

Calexico has not submitted a subsequent draft housing element since July 13, 2022, making the city nearly five years late in adopting a housing element in substantial compliance with the Housing Element Law.

Under a recent law sponsored by Bonta — Senate Bill 1037 (Wiener, 2024), which was signed into law and took effect Jan. 1, 2025 — local governments are liable for civil penalties for each month that they failed to timely comply with the Housing Element Law.

Also, under California’s Housing Accountability Act (HAA), failure to adopt a timely and compliant local housing plan triggers the “Builder’s Remedy.”

Once subject to the Builder’s Remedy, a local government generally may not deny certain housing projects — in particular, those that include certain thresholds of low- or moderate-income units — for inconsistency with zoning or land use designation.

Amidst the filing of the petition, some of Calexico’s citizens have been at odds with members of the Calexico City Council, demanding answers regarding the situation.

Due to her past role as Calexico’s Director of Planning and Building Services, some citizens are also placing blame on council member Lisa Tylenda for failure to comply with the Housing Element Law.

During her Facebook live Tuesday Tea show, Tylenda addressed this issue, stating, “Let’s make it real clear — I am not to blame for no subdivisions having been built in the last 20 years … The city of Calexico did not hire a consultant until February of 2021, the same year that that document was due (on) Oct. 15 … They hired that consultant in 2021, staff before me … I came in Aug. 31, and it’s important to note that because I took over what someone had begun … in my opinion, late.”

According to Tylenda, she took over the process and continued where it was left off, as she stated, “While I was working there, it was moving … Then on Sept. 9, 2022, HCD issued a second findings letter, noting revisions were still necessary … By this time, I had already started to give everything to the city manager … I went to work at a different place, my last day there was March 17, 2023, so six months after we received the last letter for revisions. Mind you, the consultants were working on it — everybody who had to be aware was aware … What happened after I left while we were in the draft process and moving forward, I had no control over.”

The city is planning to be in compliance with the Housing Element Law in the next few months, as council member Diana Nuricumbo said, “We’ve been hearing comments, and some people are saying ‘Stop pointing fingers and just get it done.’ It is getting done, and it’s getting worked on — it’ll be submitted by October. It has to, there’s no other option because this city cannot afford to go into any type of litigation or pay any type of fines in relation to this lawsuit.”

The full Petition for Writ of Mandate can be found on the Office of the Attorney General’s website at: https://oag.ca.gov/system/files/attachments/press-docs/calexico.pdf

CALEXICO — The City of Calexico has released an updated draft of its Housing Element for public review, revising its long-term residential blueprint following feedback from state housing officials. Local residents, advocates, and property owners are being invited to weigh in on the updated strategy, which includes a dedicated public workshop scheduled for mid-August.

The revisions come after the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) issued findings on an earlier version of the document. Under state law, municipalities are required to regularly update their Housing Elements to demonstrate how they intend to accommodate projected housing growth across all income levels and dismantle barriers to residential development.

According to municipal officials, the revised draft features an expanded analysis of local constraints on housing development and an updated inventory of potential housing sites, factoring in environmental conditions and construction feasibility. It also includes a more detailed assessment of fair housing challenges, along with specific strategies aimed at affirmatively furthering equal housing opportunity across the border city.

A major focus of the revised Housing Plan is directed toward Calexico’s most vulnerable populations. The city's outlined programs specifically target housing stability and supportive services for seniors, individuals with disabilities, agricultural workers, mobile home park residents, and unhoused individuals and families.

City leaders are urging broad community participation in the review process as the document moves toward potential state certification and formal adoption.

“The City encourages residents, property owners, housing advocates, service providers, and other interested community members to review the revised Housing Element and provide feedback,” said Michael Coyne, Calexico’s Planning and Building Director.

To help the public navigate the document, the city will hold an informational workshop on Tuesday, Aug. 18, at 5:30 p.m. at the Camarena Memorial Library, located at 850 Encinas Ave.

The complete revised Housing Element is currently accessible for public download on the City of Calexico Official Website. Community members wishing to submit written feedback or ask questions regarding the plan can contact Planning and Building Director Michael Coyne via email at mcoyne@calexico.ca.gov.

Last month, California Attorney General Rob Bonta and the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) filed a lawsuit against the City of Calexico for its continued failure to comply with the state’s Housing Element Law. The legal action was formalized through a petition filed in the Imperial County Superior Court.

Calexico is one of five local governments statewide—alongside Costa Mesa, Half Moon Bay, Ridgecrest, and Turlock—taken to court after ignoring multiple state warnings to update their housing development plans.

Under California law, every city and county must update its housing plan every eight years to meet its Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA). The state is currently in its sixth update cycle, which aims to plan for 2.5 million homes statewide.

According to the complaint, Calexico’s noncompliance spans nearly five years:

Despite HCD issuing a formal notice of violation on July 20, 2023, and holding technical assistance meetings with city officials as recently as May 13, 2026, the city failed to resolve its status. The lawsuit asks the court to mandate that Calexico adopt a compliant housing plan and complete required rezoning within a strict 120-day window.

If Calexico fails to comply, it faces significant penalties under state law:

What you need to know: California is suing five cities for repeatedly refusing to plan for their fair share of housing, the latest move in Governor Newsom’s push to hold local governments accountable for the state’s housing shortage.

OAKLAND – Moving to hold five California cities accountable for refusing to comply with state law requiring them to plan for their share of the state’s housing needs, Governor Gavin Newsom today escalated the crackdown on local governments standing in the way of new housing.

California can’t solve the housing crisis while some cities sit on their hands and dare us to do something about it. These five jurisdictions had every chance to follow the law and plan for their fair share of housing. They chose not to, so now they’ll answer for it in court. Housing law applies statewide, and no city gets a pass.

Governor Gavin Newsom

The actions filed today are part of the state’s plan to ensure every last jurisdiction does its part to solve for the state’s housing needs. With this sixth housing planning cycle nearing its end, the vast majority of jurisdictions have adopted a compliant housing element and met the requirements of the law. The jurisdictions named in today’s legal action are falling behind, with all at least two and a half years past the compliance deadline. The five cities are Calexico, Costa Mesa, Half Moon Bay, Ridgecrest, and Turlock.

“California’s housing crisis demands action, not excuses,” said Attorney General Rob Bonta. “Jurisdictions that remain out of compliance with our Housing Element Law are standing in the way of the homes Californians need. We are well past the halfway point of the current housing planning cycle, and timely compliance is not optional. As I’ve said many times, no local government has to solve this challenge alone, but every local government has to do its fair share. Today, we’re showing how serious we are about ensuring that every city and county in California adopts a housing element. Restoring the California dream will take an all-hands-on-deck effort.”

“The vast majority of California’s cities and counties have stepped up to achieve housing element compliance,” said Housing and Community Development (HCD) Director Gustavo Velasquez. “For the small number that are still falling short, the actions we are taking today should send a clear message: no community is exempt from doing its part to solve our housing crisis. Alongside Attorney General Bonta, Governor Newsom and HCD will continue to hold local governments accountable for complying with state law.”

Before making today’s referral, HCD gave each jurisdiction repeated chances to fix the problem. That included formal notices of violation, 30 days for each city or county to respond in writing, and two rounds of meetings to work through solutions before the case ever reached the Attorney General’s Office. Statewide, HCD’s combination of technical assistance and enforcement has pushed housing element compliance above 95% in this cycle.

The state is prepared to file additional writ petitions against any city or county that receives a notice of violation from HCD and fails to act.

The law these cities broke

Since 1969, California has required every city and county to plan for housing at every income level, not just some, through a housing element, a required piece of each jurisdiction’s general plan. Each cycle, HCD assigns every city and county a share of the state’s housing need, and a jurisdiction’s housing element must show, in specific terms, how it will meet that number and clear the barriers standing in the way. HCD reviews and must approve every housing element before it can be adopted. California is in its sixth cycle, with jurisdictions updating their plans every five or eight years.

The stakes aren’t small. Under the state’s Housing Accountability Act, an out-of-compliance jurisdiction is subject to the “Builder’s Remedy,” losing its ability to reject qualifying low- and moderate-income housing projects on zoning grounds. And under Senate Bill 1037, signed into law in 2024, jurisdictions are subject to civil penalties for noncompliance that go towards affordable housing in that same community.

The state has worked in lockstep on housing accountability throughout this cycle, an effort that has already produced settlements with Hollister, Artesia, La Habra Heights, Malibu, Fullerton, Coronado and San Bernardino, each committing to bring its housing element into compliance.

Accountability in action: Huntington Beach

Today’s action follows a May announcement on Huntington Beach, where the state sued the city in 2023 after it refused to update its housing element, more than four years past its legal deadline. In May 2026, a Superior Court judge ordered the city to pay $160,000 in penalties, with fines climbing to $50,000 a month until it comes into compliance. The case shows the consequences of willfully flouting the law.

More housing. More accountability.

Governor Newsom championed the creation of the Housing Accountability Unit at HCD to ensure cities and counties fulfill their legal responsibilities to plan and permit their fair share of housing. Since its establishment, the Housing Accountability Unit has supported the development of 13,541 housing units, including more than 3,852 affordable units, through enforcement actions and by working with local jurisdictions to ensure compliance with housing law. In 2024, the Unit was expanded to include a focus on homelessness issues, including compliance with state laws related to homeless housing.

In addition to today’s announcement and ongoing work to hold local governments accountable to help their residents and improve affordability, Governor Newsom is creating a structural and foundational model that will have positive impacts for generations to come.

The Governor is streamlining and prioritizing the building of new housing, funding new shelters, housing, and supports, holding local governments accountable, addressing mental health and its impact on homelessness through voter-approved Proposition 1, and creating new pathways for those who need it most through updated conservatorship laws and a new CARE court system. California is also addressing encampments statewide to help get people off the streets and into care. All this work is creating positive results.

Last year, as a result of the Governor’s strategies to address the housing and homelessness crisis, for the first time in over 15 years, California’s unsheltered homelessness decreased by 9.5%. While other states and the nation as a whole continue to see homelessness rising, California is reversing a crisis decades in the making.