Politics & Government
City Mum on Lawsuit Alleging Violation of Affordable-Housing Law
A spokeswoman for the City of Albany said the city is withholding comment on a the affordable-housing lawsuit filed against it Wednesday, pending a City Council review of the suit in closed session this coming Monday.
The City of Albany has declined so far to respond to the lawsuit filed Wednesday against the city alleging violation of state law on affordable housing.
City Clerk Nicole Almaguer, who serves also as Albany's public information officer, told Patch Friday that the city has no comment pending review of the suit by the City Council at its next meeting on Monday.
The suit filed in Alameda County Superior Court accuses the City of Albany of violating state mandates for local governments to facilitate affordable housing. The plaintiffs are the non-profit Albany Housing Advocates, Albany Bulb resident Amber Whitson and Betty Stephenson, identified in the suit as a homeless home-care aide. Representing the plaintiffs are attorneys for Bay Area Legal Aid and the Public Interest Law Project.
Patch has also asked Mayor Peggy Thomsen and City Attorney Craig Labadie for a response to the allegations in the suit.
The suit asks the court to suspend the city's powers to issue any building permits or make any zoning changes, except those designed to facilitate affordable housing, until the alleged violations are resolved.
More details about the lawsuit can be found in the Patch article published Friday, "Suit Accuses of Albany of Breaking Law on Affordable Housing."
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