SACRAMENTO, Calif. >> California filed a lawsuit against a Los Angeles suburb on Monday, alleging the city’s recent moratorium on homeless shelters and temporary housing violates the state’s fair housing and anti-discrimination laws.

The lawsuit is part of an ongoing effort by Gov. Gavin Newsom to push back against what he sees as local resistance and defiance of state laws in the face of California’s desperate need for new housing. The crisis has prompted a surge in the homeless population in the nation’s most populous state.

Norwalk, a city of 100,000 people some 15 miles (24 kilometers) southeast of Los Angeles, becomes the latest city to face legal actions from the state over housing policies. That came after the city council voted in September to extend its temporary ban on new homeless shelters and emergency housing.

City councilmembers in a recent statement said Norwalk has done its fair share to address the homeless crisis but previous state programs, including one that puts homeless people in motel rooms, have led to public safety concerns. The moratorium, which remains in effect until next year, already has blocked a plan by the County of Los Angeles in September to move homeless people into a hotel in the city.

The lawsuit filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court argues that the city violated half a dozen housing laws by enacting such a moratorium. It is asking the court to halt the city’s law.

“Our message is clear, our message is consistent.” Attorney General Rob Bonta said Monday. “If local governments attempt to skirt state housing laws, if they refuse to do the bare minimum to address the dire lack of affordable and accessible housing in California, we will hold them accountable.”

Monday’s lawsuit comes after Newsom publicly blasted Norwalk and urged local elected officials to reconsider the policy. The state in September warned the city of potential legal action and last month revoked the city’s housing plan, effectively disqualifying it from receiving state funding for homeless and housing programs. Bonta said state officials also met with the city last week but to no avail.