Lawyers from Cozen O’Connor have sued the city of Inglewood claiming that the city government’s deal to sell public land to build a new arena for the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers violates state law meant to spur the creation of affordable housing.
Lawyers from Cozen’s Santa Monica office filed suit in Los Angeles Superior Court on behalf of pro bono client Uplift Inglewood Tuesday with co-counsel from Public Counsel and the Public Interest Law Project. The lawsuit claims that Inglewood’s exclusive negotiating agreement (ENA) with a developer associated with the team to buy land for the arena violates the California Surplus Land Act. The law requires sales of public land in the state to prioritize affordable housing projects and parks and open land. The suit also claims that the city has failed to provide affordable housing or enough emergency shelters and transitional services for the community’s homeless population as required by law.
