Housing Action Coalition and Farella Braun + Martel File Lawsuit Challenging the City of San Mateo’s Housing Element

Farella Braun + Martel and the Housing Action Coalition (HAC) filed a lawsuit against the City of San Mateo, challenging its recently adopted Housing Element in order to make the city comply with state housing laws. The lawsuit is the first in the Bay Area to challenge a Housing Element that has been certified by the State, by invoking a law requiring cities to back up their claims that housing sites are realistically available with substantial evidence. The lawsuit explains that the City of San Mateo claimed to meet its fair share of the 2023-2031 regional need for housing – a number known as the Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) – by listing a number of sites where the city knew development was not likely. Learn more here.