Pro-housing Group Sues Governor Newsom Over Duplex Ban in Wildfire Zones
A pro-housing organization, YIMBY Law, has filed a lawsuit against Governor Gavin Newsom over his executive order that allows cities to suspend SB 9, a housing law permitting property owners to subdivide their lots. The lawsuit claims that Newsom's decision is a constitutional overreach and violates the California Emergency Services Act, which restricts emergency powers to ongoing disasters. SB 9, enacted in 2021, is designed to address the housing crisis by increasing density, allowing homeowners to split single-family lots into multiple properties. Critics argue that this increased density could compromise the character of neighborhoods and complicate evacuations in fire-prone areas. Newsom's executive order, issued in July, was quickly adopted by several local governments, including Los Angeles and Pasadena, which are now named in the lawsuit. 
