Litigation:

On March 23, 2009, CAHLP and co-counsel Public Counsel, Rebecca Thornton, O’Melveny Meyers, and Gibson Dunn & Crutcher reached a settlement in Rogel, et. al. v. Lynwood Redevelopment Agency, Superior Court, County of Los Angeles, Case No. BS106592. Plaintiffs challenged the Redevelopment Agency's failure to provide relocation assistance, replacement housing units, inclusionary housing units, and to make proper deposits and expenditures from its low and moderate income housing fund. Continue reading for more information.

In Watkins, et al. vs. County of Alameda, et al., PILP, Bay Area Legal Aid and San Francisco law firm Heller Ehrman challenged the County’s inadequate implementation of time limits on General Assistance benefits. Follow the hearing on July 15, 2008, Alameda County Superior Court Judge David Hunter granted in part Petitioners' writ of mandate, ordering that the County's definition of "employable" does not comply with its statutory obligations. The County is prohibited from implementing time limits, at least until it changes its definition of employable and reasses the entire GA population. The case is currently on appeal. Continue reading for more information.

On June 20, 2008 the Court of Appeal in Urban Habitat et al. v. City of Pleasanton (A118327) reversed the trial court’s dismissal of most of plaintiffs’ claims in this suit attacking the City’s housing cap and its failure to implement its housing element program to rezone sites for affordable housing. CAHLP/PILP is co-counsel with Public Advocates and Munger, Tolles & Olson.

Legislation:

With the help of PILP attorneys, three important bills were signed by Governor Schwarzenegger in October 2007:

AB 1331 provides a safety net to foster care youth with disabilities who are exiting the state’s foster care system.

AB 987 is a redevelopment bill that strengthens the long-term affordability restrictions imposed on lower-income housing units that are produced as a result of redevelopment.

AB 976 prohibits discrimination against non-citizens by cities and landlords.