Kings County, Hanford among 15 cited on Gov. Newsom’s housing shame list. See details
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- Kings County and four of its cities were among 15 communities given final warnings.
- County and Hanford say an updated housing element will be submitted this week.
- HCD gave 30 days to respond before possible referral to the Attorney General.
Kings County and four of its incorporated cities are among the 15 areas of the state that received a final warning this week from Gov. Gavin Newsom and the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) for failing to meet state housing law requirements.
The cities of Avenal, Corcoran, Hanford, and Lemoore received final notices, along with the county.
City of Hanford officials said the city is working towards compliance as part of a multi-jurisdictional housing element led by Kings County.
“The City of Hanford, in conjunction with Kings County, Avenal, and Corcoran, is working closely with the California Department of Housing and Community Development to meet state deadlines for the Kings Multijurisdictional Housing Element,” the city said in a statement. “An updated Housing Element will be submitted to the State this week, and the city is committed to complying with all state housing laws.”
Under California state housing law, communities must adopt a housing plan — known as a housing element — that outlines how they will meet regional housing needs for residents at all income levels and submit that plan to HCD for review.
Among other issues, the state in its notice said that Kings County failed to claim $115,900 of $160,000 available in appropriated state money for local housing initiatives.
“We still have communities that aren’t meeting the needs of their residents,” Newsom said this week. “There’s no carve-out here. No community gets a pass when it comes to addressing homelessness or creating more housing access.”
The final notice addressed to Hanford city manager Christopher Tavarez said the city’s most recent housing element draft “is not in substantial compliance with Housing Element Law.” According to the notice, the city has provided two draft housing elements and several timelines to work toward compliance but it has failed to submit a subsequent draff since receiving a letter from HCD on Oct. 24, 2025.
The county completed a seven-day public comment period, which concluded Thursday as part of the required public review process, officials said.
According to notice sent to the county, HCD made available $123 million in planning grants for regions, cities, and counties to prepare, adopt, and implement plans that streamline housing approvals and accelerate housing production. Under that program, the county was eligible for, and received, an award of $160,000 through SB 2, $115,900.73 of which was left unclaimed. The county did not apply for a grant through the Local Early Action Planning Grant (LEAP) for local planning activities.
Officials said any necessary revisions will be incorporated and anticipated, submitting the county’s updated Housing Element to HCD for certification by Friday.
“Kings County recognizes the importance of housing planning as part of broader efforts to address housing availability and affordability,” county officials said.
Other cities and counties receiving notices were: Atwater, California City, Escalon, Half Moon Bay, Merced County, Montclair, Oakdale, Patterson, Ridgecrest and Turlock.
According to HCD, the 15 communities are two years past the statutory deadline for housing element compliance and more than 60 days away from securing a certified housing element. The cities and counties have 30 days to respond to the Notices of Violation before HCD takes further action including referral to the Attorney General.
State law requires that the housing element:
- Identify adequate sites to facilitate and encourage the development, maintenance and improvement of housing for households of all economic levels, including persons with special needs.
- Remove, as legally feasible and appropriate, governmental constraints to the production, maintenance, and improvement of housing for persons of all income levels.
- Assist in the development of adequate housing to meet the needs of low- and moderate income households.
- Conserve and improve the condition of housing and neighborhoods, including existing affordable housing.
- Promote equal housing opportunities for all persons regardless of race, religion, sex, marital status, ancestry, national origin, color, familial status, or disability.
- Preserve lower-income publicly-assisted housing developments within each community.
This story was originally published March 27, 2026 at 12:37 PM with the headline "Kings County, Hanford among 15 cited on Gov. Newsom’s housing shame list. See details."
