NEWS & UPDATES
From the LeSar Portfolio of Firms
May 2025 Newsletter
Budget Proposals Continue to Destabilize Efforts to Address Housing Affordability and Homelessness
Since taking office this year, the Trump administration has destabilized efforts to address housing affordability and homelessness by proposing mass layoffs at HUD, selling or moving the HUD headquarters, [...]
California State Legislature Continues to Advance Bills to Produce Housing, Promote Equity, Protect Tenants, and more
Article Contributor: Jacqueline Woo, Manager, CA Legislative Analysis This year, California’s State Legislature is advancing a comprehensive suite of housing bills to boost housing production, protect tenants, create innovations [...]
California Fast Track Permit Reform Package Promises Further Housing Development Streamlining
In March, a bipartisan and bicameral group of legislators announced a comprehensive housing package to tackle California’s housing crisis. The package, dubbed the “Fast Track Housing Package,” includes more [...]
Sixth Vienna Social Housing Field Study Inspires Multisectoral Delegates to Continue Dialogue Back Home
In April, 31 delegates from Southern California, the Bay Area, and Virginia attended the 6th immersive Global Policy Leadership Academy (GPLA) Social Housing Field Study in Vienna, Austria. Attendees [...]
New Resources from the Climate Smart Housing Collective Advance Climate and Housing Work
Visit the CSHC website As climate change and housing remain top issues facing this country and globally, the most vulnerable communities are at the highest risk of being impacted [...]
What We’re Reading
REPORTS / RESOURCES
California Affordable Housing Needs Report 2025 | California Housing Partnership | April 2025
Improving America’s Housing 2025 | Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University | April 2025
Success on the Street | SPUR | March 2025
The Gap: A Shortage of Affordable Homes | National Low-Income Housing Coalition | March 2025
ARTICLES/MEDIA
San Diego City Council Approves Law Banning Technology Used in Rental Price Fixing | Fox5 San Diego | April 16, 2025
Housing Bills Looking to Achieve ‘Functional Zero’ In Unsheltered Homelessness | San Diego Union Tribune | April 12, 2025
California Lawmakers Push to Lower Rent Cap, Expand Protections. Property Owners Are Worried | KQED | April 2, 2025
LA County Defunds LA Homeless Services Authority, Creates Its Own Department | Fox LA | April 2, 2025
LA Passes ‘Right To Counsel’ Law, But Many Tenants Facing Eviction Won’t Get A Lawyer Yet | LAist | April 1, 2025
Modular Housing May Finally Have Its Day — As Solution to Wildfire Rebuilding | LA Times | March 27, 2025
Judge Orders HUD To Release $30 Million In Grants to Fair Housing Groups | Common Wealth Beacon | March 27, 2025
Americans May Be Stuck — But Why? | Planetizen | March 27, 2025
Will This Bill be the End of California’s Housing vs Environment Wars? | CalMatters | March 26, 2025
Affordable Housing Developers Stalled by Blocked Federal Funds | CityLab | March 25, 2025