Gretchen Regenhardt

Gretchen Regenhardt (retired), former Regional Directing Attorney of California Rural Legal Assistance. As Regional Director, she oversaw the Watsonville, Salinas, El Centro, Madera, and San Luis Obispo offices of CRLA, the agency charged with providing free legal services to low-income people in civil matters statewide. Specializing in housing, labor, and public benefits issues, she worked for more than 30 years representing clients in Santa Cruz County. In 2004, together with the Public Interest Law Project, she sued the County of Santa Cruz for its failure to provide adequate sites for lower-income housing in the County. As a result, in 2006, the County was court-ordered to rezone 30-35 acres of land to allow for affordable housing development. Nearly all the sites have since been developed as 100% affordable housing.