Kennedy Comm'n v. City of Huntington Beach

*843 Defendants and appellants the City of Huntington Beach and the City Council of Huntington Beach (collectively, City) appeal the grant of a petition for writ of mandate entered by the Superior Court of Los Angeles County in favor of plaintiffs and respondents The Kennedy Commission, William Adams and Jason Puloe (collectively, Kennedy) invalidating City's amendment to the Beach Edinger Corridors Specific Plan (BECSP).

Under California's Housing Element Law ( Gov. Code, § 65580 et seq. ), 1 City was required to pass, as part of its general plan, a housing element that makes adequate provisions for the housing needs of all income groups, including accommodating the local government's share of the Regional Housing Need *844 Allocation (RHNA). The California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) approves the housing element. City adopted a general plan. The general plan included a housing element, which set forth City's plan to comply with the HCD requirement for affordable housing. A large part of the housing element adopted in the general plan provided that development of affordable housing would occur in the BECSP area. In 2015 City passed an amended BECSP,…