The California attorney general’s office and the Department of Housing and Community Development announced a settlement with Monterey County resolving the county’s failure to adopt a compliant housing element, the attorney general’s office said.
The state said Monterey missed its statutory deadline of Dec. 15, 2023 to adopt a sixth-cycle housing element; HCD provided guidance and reminders to the county before the settlement, the release said. California’s sixth cycle requires local governments to plan for roughly 2.5 million additional homes statewide, the release said.
The attorney general’s office said the county has now adopted a compliant housing element and completed its mandatory rezoning by the Nov. 3, 2026 deadline as part of the settlement.
Under the settlement, the county must commit to the approved sixth-cycle rezoning actions; pay monetary penalties under Senate Bill 1037 of $300,000 and deposit those funds into its local housing trust fund to be used for affordable housing projects; allocate planning resources for the seventh-cycle housing element including at least one dedicated county planner and budget line items for the two fiscal years before the seventh-cycle deadline; and submit a draft seventh-cycle housing element to HCD in advance of the statutory deadline, the release said.
The release said the state will have authority to enforce the settlement if Monterey County breaches its terms.
The attorney general’s office said Attorney General also sent a Nov. 3, 2026 letter notifying Monterey County that parts of its general plan were out of compliance with state planning laws that address disadvantaged unincorporated communities, flood and climate risks, and equitable access to open space and environmental justice; the letter invited the county to meet with the attorney general’s office to discuss compliance.
The release framed the settlement as the latest in statewide enforcement and technical-assistance efforts; the attorney general’s office said the state has reached settlement agreements with Hollister, Artesia, La Habra Heights, Malibu, Fullerton, Coronado, San Bernardino and now Monterey County.
State
Rob Bonta
Attorney General · Democrat
Named once in this story.
Portrait: Official portrait
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