Governor Newsom isn’t messing around anymore. The state just issued final warnings to 15 cities and counties that have been dragging their feet on California’s housing requirements, and if they don’t get their act together in the next 30 days, they’re facing lawsuits. Yeah, you read that right, actual legal action.

Here’s what’s going on: California has a law requiring every city and county to plan for housing that works for residents at all income levels. It’s called a housing element, and it’s basically a roadmap for how communities will address their region’s housing needs. By now, 92 percent of California communities have actually followed through and certified their housing plans. But these 15 holdouts? They’re more than two years behind schedule and show zero signs of getting compliant anytime soon.

The communities getting the boot are Atwater, Avenal, California City, Corcoran, Escalon, Half Moon Bay, Hanford, Kings County, Lemoore, Merced County, Montclair, Oakdale, Patterson, Ridgecrest, and Turlock. If any of them fail to respond within 60 days, the state will refer the cases to the Attorney General for legal action. Plus, there are already five lawsuits in motion against cities like Anaheim, Elk Grove, and Huntington Beach, and the state has already won agreements in all of them.

Newsom’s message is crystal clear: “There’s no carve-out here. No community gets a pass when it comes to addressing homelessness or creating more housing access”. This isn’t just talk either. The state’s Housing Accountability Unit, established in 2021, has already unlocked over 12,000 housing units that were stuck in local planning processes. That includes nearly 3,650 affordable units that actually wouldn’t exist without this enforcement push.

The broader context here is important. California is facing a serious housing and homelessness crisis, and Newsom has made it clear that local governments can’t just ignore the problem. The state has been backing this up with real support too, streamlining building approvals, funding programs, and even expanding mental health services to address the root causes of homelessness. Last year, voters approved Proposition 1, which is already delivering more than 6,900 residential treatment beds and 27,500 outpatient treatment slots for behavioral health care.

Beyond the legal enforcement, the state’s SAFE Task Force has been clearing encampments in major cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Sacramento, connecting people with shelter and support services. Since 2021, Caltrans alone has removed more than 20,600 encampments and offered services to nearly 62,000 people.

The bottom line? California is done waiting for communities to voluntarily address the housing crisis. If you want to see how your city or county is doing on housing and homelessness, you can check out accountability.ca.gov to track their progress. It’s time for every community to step up or face the legal consequences.