Low-income people in California are in desperate need of affordable housing. During the past decade, the cost of housing skyrocketed in California and many people, primarily higher income homeowners, landlords, and residential and commercial developers, benefited from the real estate boom. At the same time, many more Californians are forced to choose between paying their rent or mortgage and purchasing food and clothing for their children. In many instances, other necessities, such as health care, insurance and high-quality child care are not an option for these families. Each year, dedicated legal services and affordable housing advocates fight to keep thousands of low-income Californians in their housing. Yet, the number of people in need of affordable housing continues to grow. We must do more to plan for the development of new housing for our clients. This manual is intended to encourage advocates to become involved in the affordable housing planning process.