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Encinitas is taking its own residents to court.

Every eight years, cities in California are required to draft and approve a blueprint that identifies where new housing could go. Encinitas has gone years without approving a blueprint because of a local measure known as Proposition A. It requires that any major land use changes first be approved by a popular vote. In the last two elections, Encinitas residents have rejected the city’s plans for more housing.

After a group of developers and low-income tenants sued, a judge agreed that Prop. A was preventing the city from complying with state law. He temporarily suspended it.

That paved the way for Encinitas to finally approve a housing plan. But it also required that the city do something about Prop. A going forward to avoid another showdown at the ballot box. The city is now dragging the main proponents of Prop. A into court and asking another judge to reconcile the local initiative with state housing laws.

On this week’s San Diego Explained, NBC 7’s Catherine Garcia and I unravel the Encinitas housing saga.