San Mateo Loses Housing Case That Could Have Statewide Impact

SAN MATEO, CA — The California Court of Appeals ruled last week against the city of San Mateo in a housing case concerning approval of a condominium development proposal, a decision that could have ramifications in a state struggling to cope with a housing crisis.

The court upheld the state’s Housing Accountability Act, which limits cities’ ability to deny development proposals that meet local objective development standards and contribute to housing needs.

The San Mateo Planning Commission denied the project in 2017 due to height concerns, but the California Renters Legal Advocacy and Education Fund sued, citing the Housing Accountability Act. The appeals’ court’s decision overturned an earlier ruling by a trial court, which sided with San Mateo.

Top state officials applauded the court’s decision.

Gov. Gavin Newsom called the housing crisis an “existential threat to our state’s future.”

“The court’s decision protects our ability to hold local governments to account and ensures that families throughout California won’t suffer when those same local leaders refuse to do their part to approve new housing,” Newsom said.

Attorney General Rob Bonta added that the ruling was a “major victory for all Californians.”

“The law retains strong protections because our state needs strong solutions,” Bonta said. “Now’s the time for our state and local governments to work together to meet the challenge ahead.”

The development at issue, originally denied in 2017, was a four-story, 10-unit building proposed at North El Camino Real at W. Santa Inez Avenue. A city of San Mateo spokesperson told the Mercury News that the city was evaluating its options, adding that the city agrees that expanding housing in the state is “critical.”

“As we evaluate our legal options in this case, we will continue to assist with development of much-needed affordable housing through inclusionary housing policies, long-range planning informed by community input, allocating local funding where available, and leveraging city-owned land to build affordable homes in our community,” the statement read.