Housing reform laws: enforcement actions: fines and penalties.

Assembly Member Wicks' housing enforcement measure establishes new legal remedies for development applicants who successfully challenge public agencies over violations of state housing laws. The legislation creates a framework of mandatory penalties and prohibits agencies from requiring developers to sign indemnification agreements when pursuing legal action.

Under the measure, courts must impose minimum fines on local agencies that violate housing laws after receiving written warnings from the Attorney General or Department of Housing and Community Development. For projects with more than four units, these fines match existing statutory penalties, while smaller projects face minimum $50,000 fines per violation. Agencies with previous violations during the same planning period face penalties multiplied by five. The bill also guarantees prevailing applicants recovery of reasonable attorney's fees and legal costs.

The legislation voids any requirements for housing developers to indemnify public agencies against lawsuits alleging violations of state housing laws. This provision applies to both existing and future agreements between agencies and applicants. The measure maintains current legal remedies while adding these new enforcement mechanisms, with courts responsible for implementing the prescribed penalties when violations occur.