About Lesar Development Consultants

LeSar Development Consultants (“LDC”) provides a full range of consulting services primarily to local government agencies involved in redevelopment, community development, affordable housing, and homelessness. Services are grouped into three core areas: Affordable Housing Policy and Planning; Real Estate Technical Services; and Portfolio Management and Administration.

LeSar Development Consultants was founded in 2005 and is headed by Jennifer LeSar. Our senior staff people work with clients across the nation and have more than 65 years of combined industry experience, including service in many different private- and public-sector leadership capacities.

Our firm is headquartered in the Banker’s Hill neighborhood of San Diego, less than a half-mile north of downtown. We also have offices in downtown Los Angeles and downtown Sacramento to better serve our southern and northern California clients.

Executive Team

Jennifer LeSar, President

With more than 25 years of experience in the real estate development and investment banking industries, Jennifer LeSar brings a diverse background to her firm’s work in redevelopment, affordable housing, community development and urban revitalization. Prior to founding LeSar Development Consultants in 2005, Ms. LeSar worked for 12 years as an affordable housing developer and for eight years as an investment banker arranging equity investments on behalf of Edison Capital and Bank of America.

Ms. LeSar has developed and /or financed over $3 billion in residential and commercial properties. Her technical expertise spans from policy and program development to comprehensive strategic planning for top executives and executive teams to financial structuring and investment analysis. She has served in leadership capacities on a variety of boards including most recently the Centre City Development Corporation board where during her eight-year tenure she served one term as Chair and two as Treasurer. Her educational achievements include two advanced degrees from UCLA – an MBA in real estate, finance and nonprofit management and an MA in Urban Planning.

Matthew Doherty, Principal, Housing Policy and Planning

Matthew Doherty joined LeSar Development Consultants as Principal of Housing Policy and Planning in August 2010. Mr. Doherty is based in LDC’s San Diego office and works with clients locally, throughout California and in many other locations across the country. He comes to LDC with more than 18 years of experience in the nonprofit and public sectors and has focused on the creation of housing, supportive services and economic opportunities for disadvantaged communities and households.

Prior to joining LDC, Mr. Doherty served in a variety of roles since 2002 for the Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH), the intermediary and community development financial institution, and is a nationally known expert regarding financing, public policy and operational issues for supportive and affordable housing as well as strategies for ending homelessness. Mr. Doherty most recently served as Director of CSH’s Consulting Group, managing the provision of customized consulting, technical assistance and training services to public agencies and nonprofit organizations in communities across the United States and focusing on enhancing policies, planning and systems for the financing, development and operation of an expanded supply of affordable and supportive housing. He previously directed CSH’s National Resource Center, with lead responsibility for the creation and dissemination of publications, training curricula, manuals and web-based resources to enhance the capacity of nonprofit and public agencies and collaborations. He also previously held management roles with the San Diego Housing Commission and the King County Housing Authority in Washington State and has extensive knowledge of Public Housing Authorities and HUD-funded programs.

Mr. Doherty has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Oberlin College and a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Washington.