NEWS & UPDATES
From the LeSar Portfolio of Firms
March 2026 Newsletter
California State Legislature Passes Housing and Homelessness Bills Focused on Boosting Production
California’s State Legislature passed a flurry of housing and homelessness bills by September 13, the last day of this year’s legislative session, despite multiple competing [...]
US House and Trump Administration FY 2026 Budget Proposals Pose Challenges to Housing and Homelessness
On July 24, the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee approved its FY 2026 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development bill, while earlier in July, the U.S. House [...]
Governor’s Reorganization Creates New Cabinet-Level Housing and Homelessness Agency
On July 11, Governor Gavin Newsom announced the creation of a new, standalone cabinet-level agency dedicated to solving the housing and homelessness crisis. The California Housing [...]
California Budget Trailer Bills Enable New CEQA Infill Housing Exemptions
Article Contributor: Jacqueline Woo, Senior Associate, Research & Policy, Global Policy Leadership AcademyAfter lengthy delays, numerous budget hearings, fierce lobbying, and speculation, AB 130 (Committee [...]
What We’re Reading
REPORTS / RESOURCES
The Cost of Fragmentation: A Comparison of State Affordable Housing Finance Governance Systems | Terner Center for Housing Innovation at UC Berkeley | February 2026
2026 Federal Housing Policy Preview | Terner Center for Housing Innovation at UC Berkeley | January 2026
Abundance for Who? | Center on Poverty & Inequality, Georgetown Law | January 2026
Assessing the Cost of Impact Fees on Affordable Housing: An Analysis of Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Projects in California | Terner Center for Housing Innovation at UC Berkeley | January 2026
Worst Case Housing Needs for Renters Ticked Down, But Remain High | Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies | January 2026
ARTICLES/MEDIA
Factory-Built Housing Hasn’t Taken Off in California Yet, But This Year Might be Different | CalMatters | February 13, 2026
Slums? Informal Settlements? Just Call These Cities ‘Homegrown’ | CityLab | February 11, 2026
California’s Blockbuster Housing Legislation Faces Rocky Rollout | Politico | February 10, 2026
SMC Expands Homeless Services Training Program With $355K Grant | Santa Monica Daily Press | February 10, 2026
Can Condo Conversions Deliver Long-Term Affordability? | Shelterforce | February 6, 2026
State Doesn’t Have Enough Money for Affordable Housing Fund, Lawmakers Say | Sacramento Bee | January 23, 2026
An Experiment to Move Homeless People Into Long-Term Housing Is Still Going Strong | Voice of San Diego | January 23, 2026
Sacramento is Doubling Down on Tiny Homes. Is it a Bold Move or a Misguided One? | Sacramento Bee | January 23, 2026
Building Affordable Housing in California is Pricey and Slow. Newsom Wants to Fix it by Consolidating Power | Politico | January 21, 2026
This Acclaimed S.F. Restaurant is Offering an Unusual Employee Benefit: Housing | San Francisco Chronicle | January 21, 2026