Our Work
We hold municipal governments accountable when acting in violation of California State laws.
CaRLA pursues legal action where developers have not, bringing suit against cities that fail to approve compliant housing.
Rancho Palos Verdes Prefab ADU
On October 3, 2021, Rancho Palos Verdes (RPV) homeowners submitted an application for a 495 sq. ft. prefabricated accessory dwelling unit (ADU) to the city, only to be rejected on […]
8041 Ellis Avenue, Huntington Beach
Starting back in 2010, the City of Huntington Beach enacted the Beach and Edinger Corridors Specific Plan which designated the area around the intersection of Beach Boulevard, Ellis Avenue, and […]
Los Altos – 40 North Main St.
In late 2018, a developer in Los Altos took a discretionary project that had been denied by the Los Altos City Council and reworked it to qualify for ministerial approval […]
Calabasas ADU Ordinance
California has millions of garages. Most single family areas have zoning rules requiring one or two parking covered parking spaces per single-family home. This vast underutilized space has the potential […]
San Francisco’s ADU Ordinance
Accessory dwelling units (ADUs) have the potential to provide a rare and valuable source of rental housing in San Francisco’s single-family neighborhoods. The current San Francisco rules, however, make it […]
Sonoma – 149 Fourth St
In late 2016, a homebuilder began the arduous journey to construct three homes on vacant lots in Sonoma. Each HAA-compliant project was submitted separately, though the City of Sonoma processed […]
Dublin – Ashton at Dublin Station
On January 9, 2018, CaRLA gave testimony at a meeting of the Dublin City Council describing in detail the ways that a denial of 220 homes at Dublin BART would […]
Berkeley – 1310 Haskell St
On March 10, 2016 Berkeley Zoning Board approved a zoning and general plan compliant proposal to tear down an existing single family house and build three single family houses in […]
Lafayette – 3233 Deer Hill Road
In 2011, 315 apartments were proposed at 3233 Deer Hill Road. Given the public’s dissatisfaction with the application… Given that the Circulation Commission and Design Review Commission have both indicated that they […]
Legal expenses are a major contributor to the high costs of housing development; CaRLA seeks to combat this through free legal aid to homebuilders. Byzantine regulations create high barriers to entry in the field, leaving the development of housing only to those who can afford expensive lawyers and consultants.
We particularly seek to support small projects – encompassing 3 to 10 units – whose development teams do not have the legal budget to appeal local rulings.