Elk Grove to defend itself in suit from state of California over affordable housing denial
The state of California has filed a suit against Elk Grove for an unknown reason.
Elk Grove's city officials have decided to take the state of California to court over the rejection of a housing project for the Old Town area of the city last year.
The Elk Grove City Council voted last week, in closed session, to authorize its lawyers to respond to the lawsuit filed by the Attorney General's Office earlier this month over the proposed Oak Rose Apartments Project.
The city issued a statement on Tuesday saying that, "given the inherent variables in litigation and the fact the case is still in its early stages," it was not able to discuss the details of the case. The City looks forward to the resolution of the case and will continue to work in partnership with partners to address the housing needs.
The Attorney General's press office did not respond to a request for comment on Tuesday. In its lawsuit, the state claims that the Elk Grove City Council rejected Oak Rose in July 2022 in violation of the spirit and intent of recent laws to encourage housing production.
Oak Rose, located at 9252 Elk Grove Boulevard, is a project designed to provide supportive housing for those who have recently become homeless. The project would include 67 residential units and one unit for the manager. The council members rejected the project because of the ground-floor units, among other reasons. Many city residents also spoke out against the project, citing their concerns over the impact on the surrounding neighborhood.
Bonta's lawsuit argued that the city used subjective criteria to approve a project which should have been approved objectively. The Attorney General's lawsuit has been assigned to Sacramento County Superior Court Judge but no hearing has yet been scheduled.
Excelerate Housing Group of Long Beach, the affordable housing developer that is behind Oak Rose, filed a separate lawsuit against the city for the rejection by the council.
This suit is still active, and no hearing has been scheduled. The suit makes similar claims to the state's lawsuit as to why Oak Rose's decision should be overturned.