Formerly the California Renters Legal Advocacy and Education Fund, the California Housing Defense Fund’s core mission is to make lasting impacts to improve the affordability and accessibility of housing to current and future Californians, especially low- and moderate-income people and communities of color.
CalHDF uses legal advocacy and education to ensure all cities comply with their own zoning and state housing laws and do their part to help solve the state’s housing shortage.
In addition to housing impact litigation, we provide free legal aid, education and workshops, counseling and advocacy to advocates, homeowners, small developers, and city and state government officials.
We are CalHDF
Dylan Casey
Executive Director
Dylan Casey moved to Oakland to join CalHDF in early 2017. Dylan’s work at CalHDF has focused on ensuring local compliance with state housing law, including the Housing Accountability Act and Accessory Dwelling Unit Law. Before joining CalHDF, Dylan worked as a land use lawyer for New York City government since graduating law school from New York University in 2012. Dylan worked on permitting the public review process for individual developments, neighborhood rezonings, and helped develop the city’s inclusionary housing program first at the Department of City Planning and later at the New York City Council.
Courtney Welch
Director of External Affairs
Courtney Welch is an East Bay native, experienced civic leader, proud mother of two, and member of the Emeryville City Council. Previously, she was the Director of Policy and Communications with the Bay Area Community Land Trust, (BACLT) where she helped create permanently affordable housing through cooperatively-run land stewardship projects. Prior to BACLT, Courtney was a Continuum of Care Specialist with EveryOne Home, working to end homelessness in Alameda County. In 2015, she founded Courtney Consulting Agency, a virtual assistant firm dedicated to assisting minority-owned startups and small businesses with administrative and operations needs.
Nick Eckenwiler
Legal Fellow
Nick moved to Oakland in the spring of 2022 and joined CalHDF that fall. Before then, he worked as an eviction defense attorney at the Legal Aid Society in Brooklyn, New York. Now that he is back in the Bay Area, he is excited to help tackle California’s housing crisis and enforce state housing laws. In his free time, he enjoys reading, writing fiction, and rock climbing. Nick has a BA in mathematics and political science from Yale University and a JD from Stanford Law School.
James M. Lloyd
Director of Planning & Investigations
A graduate of Pratt Institute’s City and Regional Planning graduate program, James moved to the Bay Area in the beginning of 2024 to join CalHDF. Prior to CalHDF, James was the Director of Policy for the New York State Association for Affordable Housing, where he was very active in efforts to reform land use at the state level. James also worked at as a planner in New York City government, with time both at the City Council and the Manhattan Borough President’s Office. James is a retired naval officer; after 17 years of service in the U.S. Navy, he retired in September 2022 as a Commander.
Jobs + Internships
Marketing & Communications Intern
CalHDF is a non-profit housing organization that uses legal advocacy and education to hold cities accountable and get housing built. If you have a love of housing, messaging, design, and word play, we can use your help. CalHDF is working on upping our public profile...
Board of Directors
Annie Fryman
Director of Special Projects San Francisco Bay Area Planning and Urban Research Association
Alex Gourse
Associate at Rosen Bien Galvan & Grunfeld LLP
Stephen Menendian
Assistant Director and Director of Research at UC Berkeley’s Othering and Belonging Institute
Luis Villa
Co-Founder and General Counsel at Tidelift
Louis Mirante
Vice President of Public Policy, Housing
Bay Area Council
Anais Lieu
Communications & Projects
St. Mary’s Center
Greg Magofña
Chief Strategy Officer
California Community Builders
Supported by you
CalHDF relies on individual donations and membership subscriptions from regular people like you.
There is no California statewide agency charged with enforcing the laws like we do, which makes our work all the more valuable.
Donate to CalHDF and help us restore a legal environment in which California builds housing equal to its needs.