NEWS & UPDATES
From the LeSar Portfolio of Firms
August 2025 Newsletter
Funding Available for Behavioral Health Treatment and Service Facilities
In early May, Governor Newsom announced $3.3B in Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure (BHCIP) Round 1 grant funding for 124 projects across the state accounting for 213 mental health and/or [...]
Federal Reconciliation Bill Includes Key Affordable Housing Provisions
In late May, the House of Representatives passed budget reconciliation tax legislation that includes key bipartisan low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC) provisions, which would expand the program. The bill [...]
Governor’s May Revise Reflects Negative Fiscal Outlook, With Reversions and No New Funding
Article Contributor: Jacqueline Woo, Senior Associate, Research & PolicyThe Legislature is entering the midpoint of the year, and the focus turns to the budget, which must be adopted by June [...]
Governor’s Reorganization of the Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency Moves Forward
Article Contributor: Jacqueline Woo, Senior Associate, Research & PolicyAs California grapples with persistent challenges around housing, homelessness, and consumer trust, Governor Newsom unveiled his vision for change earlier this year. [...]
What We’re Reading
REPORTS / RESOURCES
Early Outcomes from the Los Angeles County Homelessness Prevention Unit | California Policy Lab | July 2025
Annual Trends Among the Unsheltered in Three Los Angeles Neighborhoods | RAND Corporation | July 2025
Locked Out: Why Homeownership is Out of Reach for Many Young Hispanic Families | Joint Center on Housing Studies | July 2025
Housing Policy and Poverty: The Case of California | Niskanen Center | July 2025
2025 State & Local Housing Trust Fund Report | National Low Income Housing Coalition | June 2025
Through the Roof: What Communities Can Do About the High Cost of Rental Housing in America | Lincoln Institute of Land Policy | June 2025
ARTICLES/MEDIA
A Fifth of California Homes are Investor-Owned as State’s Affordability Crisis Deepens | The Guardian | July 24, 2025
The Number of People Living on the Streets Dropped Nearly 10% Countywide This Year | LA Times | July 14, 2025
California, Epicenter of the Nation’s Housing Crisis, is Finally Getting a Housing Agency | CalMatters | July 11, 2025
Homelessness in California Used to be Much Worse. Here’s how L.A. Turned it Around | LA Times | July 10, 2025
Why 1 California Union Sided with YIMBYs and Developers on Housing | The Press Democrat | July 10, 2025
LIHTC Expansion Legislation Passes, Signed into Law | National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials | July 8, 2025
Construction Spending Drops for Fourth Straight Month | Construction Dive | July 7, 2025
Criminalizing Homelessness Doesn’t Work, Study Finds | Shelterforce | July 3, 2025
Homeless Student Counts in California are Up. Some Say That’s a Good Thing | CalMatters | July 2, 2025
How Major New Housing Reform Will Affect Homebuilding in California | LA Times | July 1, 2025
Struggling Downtowns Are Looking to Lure New Crowds | Bloomberg CityLab | June 30, 2025
One of the Biggest Obstacles to Building New CA Housing has Now Vanished | CalMatters | June 30, 2025