Cerritos, Norwalk : State Issues Warnings on Delinquent Housing Plans

Cerritos and Norwalk will prepare plans for affordable housing in the wake of warnings that the state may take legal action if the cities fail to set dates for filing such plans, officials said.

State housing officials said the plans are crucial in identifying potential sites for housing, particularly for moderate- and low-income people.

Paul Kranhold, assistant housing department director, said that “builders are waiting to build” affordable housing but that cities are holding up the process by not identifying enough sites.

Cerritos and Norwalk are among 47 California cities with delinquent plans. Officials received letters from the state Department of Justice asking that dates be set within 30 days and submitted to the Department of Housing and Community Development for review.

State records show that Cerritos failed to submit required plan revisions in 1984 and 1989 and that Norwalk did not comply in 1989.

Kranhold said 79% of California’s cities and counties do not have state-approved housing elements as part of their general plans. The 47 cities that received warnings were considered the worst offenders, he said.

Cerritos intends to complete its housing plan in a year, said Dennis T. Davis, assistant city manager and environmental affairs director. The city has only 15 units of federally subsidized housing.

Don J. Rouly, economic development director in Norwalk, said his city will seek “some kind of reasonable extension” from the state to complete its housing plan as part of a General Plan update. Despite its failure to submit a housing plan to the state in 1989, Rouly said, Norwalk has as many as 700 affordable housing units.