A few months back, Huntington Beach denied a proposed 48-unit housing development right near the beach on Ellis Avenue. The project is located within the special district that is the subject of the state’s housing element lawsuit against the city. The project complies with all zoning standards, even under the city’s amendments that lowered the density throughout the district. Huntington Beach is already facing one lawsuit over this disapproval, filed by Californian’s for Homeownership in October.

We haven’t made any announcements on this because we were still working on our lawsuit to file. After a preliminary letter to the city announcing our intent to challenge the disapproval, the city responded quickly and offered to bring the project back for reconsideration. We agreed to put our lawsuit on hold and give them a chance to do the right thing. Read the full story here.

This is just one example of how we often don’t even need to sue in order to change local decisions on housing denials. Through letters, public comment, and the credible threat of legal action, CaRLA’s advocacy extends far beyond the lawsuits we’ve won, affecting thousands of units of housing across the state.