NEWS & UPDATES
From the LeSar Portfolio of Firms
January 2026 Newsletter
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 [...]
Case Study from the Climate Smart Housing Collective Demonstrates the Importance of Facilitating Climate and Housing Agency Relationships
As climate change and housing remain top issues facing this country and globally, the most vulnerable communities are at the highest risk of being [...]
Federal Reconciliation Bill Signed with Housing Provisions; FY 2026 Budget Proposal Still Pending
Updated July 8, 2025 The Federal Reconciliation Bill – or “One Big Beautiful Bill”- to finalize spending for Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 was signed [...]
State Budget Passed with Unprecedented Focus on Housing Streamlining, Retaining Investments for Housing and Homelessness
Article Contributor: Jacqueline Woo, Senior Associate, Research & Policy California’s legislature passed its budget on Friday, June 13, ahead of the June 15 constitutional [...]
What We’re Reading
REPORTS / RESOURCES
Mayors Applaud Passage of Housing for the 21st Century Act in House Committee | U.S. Conference of Mayors | December 2025
The Potential End of Emergency Housing Voucher Funding: Public Housing Agencies’ Search for Solutions | Terner Center for Housing | December 2025
Building Renter Wealth: An Evaluation of Shared Prosperity Rental (SPR) Housing Program Design and Feasibility | UCLA Lewis Center | December 2025
The Impact of Residential Mobility on Segregation in California | UCLA Lewis Center & California Housing Partnership | December 2025
Californians’ Concern About Homelessness Has Softened | Public Policy Institute of California | October 2025
ARTICLES/MEDIA
Cities Can’t Punish Outreach Workers for Helping Homeless Californians Under New Law | CalMatters | December 28, 2025
This Program Gets Homeless People into Housing Fast. Will It Be One of the Last? | San Diego Union-Tribune | December 28, 2025
Trump Says ‘Housing First’ Failed the Homeless. Here’s What the Evidence Says. | New York Times | December 25, 2025
Year in Review: Big Changes to California Housing Policy | CalMatters | December 24, 2025
Why Homeownership in California Isn’t Nearly the Financial Slam Dunk It Once Was | CalMatters | December 19, 2025
What’s in the Housing for the 21st Century Act? | Bipartisan Policy Center | December 18, 2025
Congress Must Act to Prevent Cuts That Would Leave Hundreds of Thousands at High Risk of Homelessness | Center on Budget and Policy Priorities | December 17, 2025
20% of Sacramento Shelter Guests Go on to Permanent Housing. Is There a Better Way? | Sacramento Bee | December 12, 2025
HUD Temporarily Withdraws Continuum of Care NOFO Amid Program Uncertainty | National Association of Counties | December 8, 2025