about us
Meet our Team
A Legacy You can Trust
About Our Firm
Sabelhaus & Strain has been a cornerstone in California’s legal landscape for over 40 years, offering expert guidance in affordable housing, and residential development. With a deep commitment to community building and client success, we combine decades of experience with modern legal strategies to help businesses and developers thrive. Our mission is grounded in advocacy, integrity, and forward-thinking solutions that meet the evolving needs of our clients and the communities we serve.
Get to Know
Attorney Steve Strain
Mr. Strain has worked in California’s affordable housing industry since 2001 and been a practicing attorney since 2005. His practice has focused on the development of affordable housing which has included work in the areas of real property law, residential and mixed-use development, State and Federal Low Income Housing Tax Credit Law, Tax-Exempt Bond financing, partnership and business organization law and title and escrow matters.
He has represented both non-profit and for-profit developer clients with affordable housing projects throughout California. Since entering California’s affordable housing industry he has been involved with more than 150 affordable housing projects consisting of more than 11,000 affordable rental housing units.
In this capacity, he has assisted in securing and/or closing construction and permanent debt and equity financing with California Statewide Communities Development Authority, California Municipal Finance Authority, Golden State Finance Authority, Wells Fargo, Citibank, Umpqua Bank, J.P. Morgan Chase, Pacific Western Bank, California Housing Finance Agency, California Department of Housing and Community Development, the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, California Community Reinvestment Corporation, Boston Financial, WNC & Associates, The Richman Group, Redstone Capital, RBC Capital Markets, National Equity Fund, Aegon, Enterprise, R4 Capital, Raymond James and other financial and investment groups. He has also assisted in securing and closing soft, subordinate financing from local jurisdictions at the city and county level throughout California.
Mr. Strain has worked as both consultant and borrower counsel with a variety of Federal and California State financing programs including the HOME Investments Partnerships Program, the Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities Program, the Community Development Block Grant Program, the Homekey Program, the Infill Infrastructure Grant Program, the Transit Oriented Development Program, the Joe Serna Jr. Farmworker Housing Grant Program, the Multifamily Housing Program, the National Housing Trust Fund Program, the Mental Health Services Act Program, the No Place Like Home Program and the Veterans Housing and Homelessness Prevention Program among others. Mr. Strain recently joined as the secretary for the board of directors within the non-profit, California Council for Affordable Housing (CCAH). If you are interested to learn more about CCAH you can access there website here.
Meghann A. Carey
Attorney
Meghann Carey is an attorney at Sabelhaus & Strain PC where she supports the firm’s Affordable Housing and Business Law practices. A graduate of Golden Gate University School of Law, Meghann combines a diverse employment background with a solid legal foundation to provide solutions to low-income housing developers, as well as local entrepreneurs. A passion for uplifting historically excluded and under-represented communities is the foundation of her work.
Prior to practicing law Meghann had roles at several nonprofits, including the LGBTQ+ Youth Program Coordinator at the Diversity Center of Santa Cruz County and the Donor Coordinator at The Sperm Bank of California.
As a valued member of the Sabelhaus team, Meghann advises developers and investors on regulatory and transactional matters involving low-income housing tax credits and bonds, and the acquisition and development of affordable housing projects across the western United States. She also spearheads the firm’s Business Law division by supporting local business owners and operators in entity structuring, intellectual property protection, contract negotiation, labor and employment and regulatory compliance, among other areas.
Meghann is a diehard Philly sports fan. In her free time she can be found taking in a Phillies or Eagles game (Go Birds!) or digging around her backyard garden while her dogs lounge in the sun.
Education
J.D., Golden Gate University School of Law (2021)
B.A., University of California, Santa Cruz (2016)
Bar Admissions
State Bar of California
Jessica Chuidian-Ingersoll
Jessica Chuidian-Ingersoll joined Sabelhaus & Strain PC in August 2024 as a Project Analyst. Jessica spearheads our client’s financing applications to state and local agencies and manages Placed in Service package submission to the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee, seeing projects through from initial submission to the delivery of tax credits. As a valued member of the Sabelhaus team, Jessica manages application milestones and deliverables, supporting clients with the preparation of proformas, exhibits, and third-party reports.
Prior to joining the Sabelhaus team, Jessica had several roles in affordable housing, including relocation coordination, prevailing wage monitoring, and preparation of market studies, CEQA environmental studies, and NEPA environmental assessments. As a student, she participated as a student researcher in the No Place Like Home: The Santa Cruz Affordable Housing Crisis Study collecting data on the impacts local rent burden. She was separately awarded two Dean’s Undergraduate Awards for senior theses on tenant protections and affordable housing. Her passion for affordable housing and experience across multiple stages of development inspires her work and provides her with a solid understanding of predevelopment, construction, and compliance requirements of publicly financed housing projects.
When she’s away from her desk, Jessica enjoys managing her neighborhood cat colonies, finding knick-knacks at yard sales, and trying new recipes from her growing collection of cookbooks.
Education
B.A., University of California, Santa Cruz (2018) – History, Community Studies
Leslie Gachuz-Gomez
Leslie Gachuz-Gomez is a Project Analyst with experience in affordable housing development, finance, and compliance She supports clients through every stage of the funding process for tax-exempt bond and Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) projects. She assists in preparing and managing applications for the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee (TCAC), the California Debt Limit Allocation Committee (CDLAC), and the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), as well as preparing placed-in-service packets to advance projects from funding to completion.
Before joining Sabelhaus & Strain PC, Leslie worked in relocation compliance, prevailing wage monitoring, affordable housing market studies, and HUD-funded project monitoring, and developed an understanding of both state and federal housing laws.
Leslie graduated with a B.S. in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance from the University of San Francisco. Her technical ability, accuracy, and attention to detail, and experience in managing complex affordable housing projects will be a strong contribution.
Chornay Heng
ACCOUNTING MANAGER
Chornay is a dedicated accountant with a Bachelor’s degree from California State University, Sacramento. She began her career in 2016 and has gained valuable experience working across various sectors, including state agencies, corporate environments, and a private firm.
Specializing in financial accounting, audits and compliance for over five years, Chornay has worked with clients from diverse industries, including state and local governments, cannabis, and affordable housing.
She takes great pride in being part of a respected law firm that focused on affordable housing and commitment to assisting our clients and making a positive impact in our community.
Chornay values her current role in supporting both her team and clients. She thrives in the office atmosphere, where she can tackle diverse needs and ensure client billings are handled accurately and efficiently. She believes in collaboration and appreciates being part of such a nurturing team.
Outside of work, Chornay loves spending quality time with her family and exploring local community events.
