Gary Rhoades Email & Phone Number

A 1993 graduate from the University of California-Davis School of Law, Gary's career in civil rights in housing and consumer rights has included the successful litigation of well over a hundred cases protecting families and individuals regarding housing rights, affordable housing enforcement, and consumer protection. Those cases include impact judgments, trial wins and injunctive relief. Gary has also published over thirty articles and co-authored two manuals on the topics of housing discrimination, civil rights history, fair housing rights, reasonable accommodations, consumer protection, political asylum, unlawful business practices, and right to counsel. He is a frequent speaker on these issues at California and national conferences and is recognized as a state leader in the fight against housing discrimination.As a deputy city attorney for Santa Monica, Gary also researched and drafted three pioneering housing laws, including one of the first laws in California outlawing discrimination against tenants using housing subsidies such as the Housing Choice Voucher. The Santa Monica City Council passed the law in 2015. Since successfully defending that unique fair housing law in court in 2017, he has led city and state efforts to reverse this type of discrimination through enforcement, litigation (including two judgments), and education. He also drafted and enforced ordinances that prohibit evictions of students and teachers during school year and require warning notices before certain evictions.Gary’s past honors include California Lawyer Magazine’s award as a California Lawyer of the Year, UC-Davis School of Law’s Martin Luther King Jr. Alum Public Service Award, and the 2024 Fair Housing Hero Award at the national conference Fair Housing For Our Future. A September 2023 commendation from the Santa Monica City Council states that his "creativity, drive, and leadership helped keep Santa Monica at the forefront of fair housing rights and consumer rights."He is currently on a writing sabbatical in Kansas City, Missouri.