HOUSING AND LAND USE
City of Stockton
Revised Displacement Avoidance Plan
The City of Stockton received $24.2M from the California Strategic Growth Council Transformative Climate Communities (TCC) Implementation Grant in October 2022 for its “Stockton Rising” proposal. The RDAP is a key component of this grant. The purpose of the RDAP workplan is to implement strategies to mitigate impacts and small businesses may face resulting from the TCC Implementation Grant investment and the projected consequences of climate change. Estolano Advisors will implement the RDAP Workplan by developing an ADU Toolkit, Housing Choice Voucher Report, Tenant Rights Report, and adjoining engagement plans for each deliverable. EA will incorporate its CBO led engagement model and work with Stockton Rising and local CBOs to lead workshops focused on the housing and small business displacement strategies developed in EA’s final reports.
Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles
HACLA Vision Plan
Estolano Advisors worked with the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA) to develop a long-term 25-year Vision Plan to preserve and expand its role in producing affordable housing and supporting healthy communities. A key component of the plan is a thorough assessment of HACLA sites to prioritize capital and programmatic investments, and to create new opportunities to preserve and expand affordable housing, revitalize communities, strengthen and grow partnerships, and improve economic and social outcomes. EA created a Site Scoring Assessment tool and report that reviewed 20 HACLA sites across the City of Los Angeles, comparing and evaluating those sites, which included a category for Public Health. The data points were collected from various sources of information, including data from HACLA and local, state, federal, and proprietary sources; city documents; aerial imagery; and site visits. These data informed the scoring of each site which will indicate which of the 20 HACLA sites should be prioritized for Light Rehabilitation and/or Community Enhancement, Major Rehabilitation/Partial Redevelopment, or Redevelopment.
Los Angeles Housing Department
United to House LA Citizen Oversight Committee
Estolano Advisors serves as the Interim Inspector General (IIG) for the United to House LA (ULA) Citizen Oversight Committee (COC) – a body created to oversee and monitor Measure ULA. Voted on by Los Angeles residents in 2022, Measure ULA aims to establish a sustainable funding stream dedicated to affordable housing production and homelessness prevention. ULA COC membership is a diverse mix of individuals with experience in affordable housing, financing, tenants’ rights, labor unions, mobility and transit-oriented development, as well as young adults and those with lived homelessness experience. As IIG, EA facilitates each COC meeting with the LA Housing Department, as well as Ad-Hoc meetings dedicated to planning the Measure outlined annual Town Hall, addressing questions of governance, developing a communications strategy, developing metrics and auditing the House LA Fund, and developing permanent program guidelines for Measure ULA’s 11 programs. EA successfully facilitated permanent program guideline development, and all 11 permanent program guidelines were passed by LA City Council in August 2024. EA continues to support LAHD in facilitating each ULA COC meeting, as well as running communications, planning events, and more.
Los Angeles Black Worker Center
5401 S. Crenshaw Blvd Community Engagement
Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 572 in September 2024, authorizing the Department of General Services (DGS) to sell surplus state property located at 5401 S. Crenshaw, Los Angeles, California by 2030. The bill requires DGS to sell the property at fair market value to a community land trust to provide affordable housing or a mixed-use housing project, and to consider findings and recommendations from LABWC when evaluating proposals for the Site. Estolano Advisors will support LABWC in conceptualizing and implementing a community-driven process to ensure that the Site meets community needs, expands social housing and wealth building models for low-income, working families, and restores vital services to the historically Black Hyde Park neighborhood in South Los Angeles. Serving as the Project Manager and neutral third-party facilitator, EA will foster constructive dialogue with diverse community stakeholders and develop a vision for the Site. The research will include a data-driven process that includes producing a community profile and conducting spatial analysis. Through the community engagement process, EA will facilitate a series of virtual and in-person meetings and continually refine our methods for collecting feedback to ensure that stakeholder input is accurately captured and incorporated into the overall vision for the Site. Lastly, EA will synthesize and consolidate these findings and technical analysis into a Recommendations document that LABWC will submit to DGS to support their RFP developer solicitation and evaluation of proposals for the disposition of state surplus land.
Real Estate Advisory Services
STAND-LA / Liberty Hill
EA assisted the Liberty Hill Foundation and its grantee, STAND-LA, to evaluate alternative uses for an oil-well site located in University Park, Los Angeles. Project ideas focused on ending drill operations on the site through alternative uses that addressed community needs and produced a modest return on investment for the landowner, the Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles. EA led a visioning session with Liberty Hill and STAND-LA to identify “must have,” “would like,” and “must not have” uses for the site, which incorporated ideas articulated in previous community visioning activities. The visioning activity informed a land use and site analysis that included three project ideas (with affordable housing, community resilience center, green industry commercial, and open space components), a list of potential developer and funder partnerships to support project implementation, and a draft development pro forma estimating return-on-investment for multifamily affordable and permanent supportive housing on the site.
Southern California Association of Governments
Southern California Regional Housing Production Study
Estolano Advisors led the development of the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) Regional Housing Production Study. The analysis identifies regional priorities to support infill development, housing production goals, and aligned regional policies. EA initiated the study by interviewing over 30 local government representatives, real estate developers, housing and policy experts, advocates, philanthropic organizations, and non-profit housing providers. EA drew key findings from the interviews to frame and structure the study’s literature review. EA convened a series of virtual roundtable discussions with local and subregional governments, community-based organizations, and other housing stakeholders to share best practices, provide input on upcoming funding opportunities, and help inform the region’s legislative priorities for a just recovery. The study culminated in a white paper with strategies for how the agency can support local governments as they incorporate housing production goals into their pandemic response and recovery efforts. EA also helped SCAG develop its regional housing strategy framework by presenting key findings from the engagement process and facilitating four internal strategy sessions. As part of this work, Estolano Advisors worked with SCAG to develop an Inclusive Economic Development Strategy (IERS) that recommends strategies, policies, and programs that support an equitable economic recovery, increase our regional competitiveness, and accelerate the creation of family supporting jobs. The strategy focuses on recommendations related to housing, transportation, infrastructure, sector-specific strategies, and supporting the region’s workforce. To inform the final strategy, Estolano Advisors led a series of more than 20 industry- and sector-specific convenings to learn about the work that is happening across the region, what gaps or needs exist to help close disparities in economic outcomes, and identify ways SCAG can have a role in this space.
Westside Cities Council of Governments (WSCCOG)
Los Angeles County Affordable Housing Solutions Agency (LACAHSA) Technical Assistance
As Executive Director of the Westside Cities Council of Governments (WSCCOG), Estolano Advisors administers and provides technical assistance related to Measure A funds distributed through the Los Angeles County Affordable Housing Solutions Agency (LACAHSA). In this role, EA provides technical guidance on housing and homelessness prevention policy and program development. Since early 2025, EA has worked closely with LACAHSA staff and members of the WSCCOG Homelessness Working Group to shape and administer LACAHSA’s Renter Protection and Homelessness Prevention programs. EA also collaborated with staff from LACAHSA, Gateway Cities COG, San Gabriel Valley COG, South Bay Cities COG, City of Los Angeles, City of Long Beach, Inner City Law Center, Better Angels LA, California Policy Lab, LA Emissary, Strategic Actions for a Just Economy, Stay Housed LA, and other LA County agencies and service providers to design and support implementation of LACAHSA’s RenterAid pilot program. In late 2025, EA also worked with staff from Beverly Hills, Culver City, Santa Monica, and West Hollywood to administer the WSCCOG Call for Developments, a competitive grant program that strategically deploys WSCCOG funds to unlock larger investments from LACAHSA’s first countywide Notice of Funding Availability. EA collaborated with cities and development teams to assess project feasibility, secure financial commitments, and align development timelines with funding cycles.