Bringing you updates in legislation, policy, and other news relating to affordable housing, homelessness, sustainable communities, and related issues.

OCTOBER 2023

State Legislative Session Ends with Lots of Housing Action

by Natalie Donlin-Zappella, Legislative Director | Policy and Legislative Team   

Legislative insiders have called 2023 one of the most consequential legislative years for housing, with dozens of impactful bills making it through the process and to the Governor’s desk. The Governor has until October 14 to sign or veto the bills, or they become law without his signature. See what housing bills made it and what didn’t. 

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Ballot Measures Receive Needed Votes

by Jacqueline Woo, Senior Associate | Policy and Legislative Team  

While some ballot measures qualified for the ballot by gathering signatures via the voter referenda process, others went through the legislative process and will appear on voters’ ballots in either March or November 2024 if they receive the Governor’s signature. Here are two important housing measures...

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Governor Newsom's Mental Health Package Gets the Needed Votes

by Dr. Yelba Carrillo, Principal and Co-Team Lead | Homelessness Solutions Team

Earlier this year, the Governor unveiled a proposal for additional funding for mental health needs for people who are experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness and veterans. Housing is an important component of the final package approved by the Legislature. Two bills moved on to the Governor’s desk...

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Federal Shutdown Averted Until November

by Christina Mun, Chief Strategy Officer | LeSar Holdings, Inc  

With minutes to spare, Congress avoided a government shutdown that would have had serious impacts on housing programs for low- and moderate-income families. The action taken late Saturday keeps the government running at current levels for 45 days while negotiations continue on spending for federal Fiscal Year 2014, which began on October 1st. While this is good news in the short term, there are significant disagreements over what will be included in the spending bills, and it will require extraordinary effort to avoid the possibility of a future shutdown. See the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) analysis of the impacts of a shutdown on tenants of HUD-assisted housing and services for people experiencing homelessness.

The House and Senate will now have 45 days to pass their draft spending bills and negotiate differences, with the House bill appropriating about $2.4 billion more for U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development programs than the Senate bill. To dig deeper, check out the NLIHC House analysis here and the Senate analysis here.

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Jessica Ripper, Director of Market Execution with Global Policy Leadership Academy (a LeSar company) Nominated for Nonprofit and Corporate Citizenship Volunteer of the Year Awards

Kudos to our own Jessica Ripper, Director of Market Execution at Global Policy Leadership Academy, who was nominated for this year’s San Diego Business Journal Nonprofit and Corporate Citizenship Volunteer of the Year Awards.

As Board President of Episcopal Community Services from 2021-2023, Jessica worked with a board, staff, and volunteers to enhance programming, diversify funding sources, and ensure the diversity of organizational leadership. She championed a collaborative approach to enhance the lives of low-income children and their parents, provide transitional housing for unhoused neighbors, and facilitate key partnerships that enrich community well-being.

Jessica's role with GPLA highlights her ability to lead teams in developing housing policy leadership programs and learning experiences. This blend of professional expertise and commitment to community service has positioned Jessica as an advocate for social justice and a catalyst for systems change. We applaud Jessica’s deep-rooted passion for supporting the development of vibrant communities through her work and wide range of volunteer commitments.

LeSar Holdings Welcomes Sara Zhou, Senior Staff Accountant

Sara brings her experience from mission-driven organizations to LeSar as the senior staff accountant. Her expertise includes working with accounting software, budgets, reconciliations, data analysis, and more, providing accurate financial reporting throughout the year. With a background in IT, accounting, and data analysis, she hopes to provide data-driven insights and financial information to stakeholders within and beyond. Sara has a bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Los Angeles, and is a volunteer tax preparer through the IRS VITA tax program, providing tax filing services during the tax season to low-income families throughout San Diego County.

To Sweep Homeless Camps, California Cities Say They Offer Shelter. What That Really Means is up for Debate. | Article | CalMatters, September 12, 2023

Amazon and Other Companies Invested in Affordable Housing. Did it Work? | Article |The Guardian, September 8. 2023

Bridging Health, Housing, and Generations: What the United States Might Learn from Germany’s Intentional Multigenerational Housing Demonstrations | Report | GMF (German Marshall Fund) |

September 7, 2023

Ex-Fox News Host Pushing 2024 California Ballot Measure to Blow Up CEQA Legal Challenges | Article | SFist, September 6, 2023

Beyond Housing Stability: Understanding Tenant and Landlord Experiences and the Impact of ERA | Report | NIHLC, the Housing Initiative at Penn (HIP) and the Reinvestment Fund | August 29, 2023

Worst Case Housing Needs: 2023 Report to Congress | Report | Office of Policy Development and Research | August 21, 2023

LeSar Development Consultants works with leaders in creating large-scale, lasting social change through customized consulting services focused on creating physically, economically, and environmentally resilient communities.

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