For the month of November, ULI is highlighting some of our members in the housing sector and the great work they’re doing. 

Meet Annmarie Rodriguez, Senior Associate at LeSar Development Consultants and WLI Board Member. Annmarie’s work focuses on affordable housing, and she has been working in the Finance and Development Unit of LeSar for over two years, supporting the state, local governments, and faith-based institutions in developing affordable housing. 

Annmarie knew she wanted her career to be social justice-oriented when she graduated college. Her interest in housing stems from her family who immigrated from South America and brought with them a collectivist culture that valued supporting others, by helping put a roof over people’s heads, among other things. Working for the Illumination Foundation in Orange County as an on-site housing navigator with high-frequency ER-users coming out of homelessness firmed up her decision to attend graduate school. While getting her master’s in urban planning, Annmarie worked at NYU’s Furman Center on their data and policy teams and was a project manager on the real estate development team for a nonprofit developer in Brooklyn. After graduating and looking to move back to California, Annmarie found LeSar and was drawn to the firm’s focus on affordable housing and addressing the root causes of the housing crisis through systems change. 

“There is not enough housing in California and not enough housing at the levels of affordability for people who need it,” Annmarie states, adding that the housing crisis is often misunderstood. She emphasizes that housing is an interconnected issue, impacting all people and virtually all sectors, from the healthcare system to the job market. 

Her work with educational and religious institutions on developing affordable housing through Senate Bill 4 is something she is particularly passionate about. SB 4 is recent state legislation that allows independent institutions of higher education or religious institutions to develop affordable homes on their land. “It is really exciting to work with faith-based institutions and school districts who are not in the affordable housing realm per se but who share an interest in creating affordable housing to help the community and address a common concern,” Annmarie says. “Bringing these stakeholders in helps with looking at the bigger picture of how housing can support a community — providing affordable housing can help with workforce retention for schools or allow churches to invest in their neighborhoods long-term.” 

Annmarie started at ULI in the PFG program under the mentorship of a SANDAG employee and is now on the WLI board, helping plan the Ask Me Anything happy hours. She was drawn to these events because she loved the intimate format, opportunity for connection, and ability to hear the relatable and vulnerable experiences of female leaders in the field. 

Thank you to Annmarie for sharing your insights and for the work you do with WLI.