Sustainable Communities Strategies Integration
The Sustainable Communities Program (SCP) – Housing and Sustainable Development (HSD)
The Sustainable Communities Program (SCP) – Housing and Sustainable Development (HSD) will provide resources and direct technical assistance to approximately 25 jurisdictions to complete local planning efforts that both accelerate housing production as well as enable implementation of the Sustainable Communities Strategy of Connect SoCal. For this cycle, the HSD program is funded by Regional Early Action Planning (REAP) grant funds.
Eligible categories for this program include implementing ADU programs, Housing Sustainability Districts, Workforce Housing Opportunity Zones, and Housing Supportive Tax Increment Financing Districts, and Streamlining housing permitting, parking reduction strategies, housing-related specific plans and other pro-housing policies.
More details about each project type, program area goals, and the SCP overall can be found in the Sustainable Communities Program Housing and Sustainable Development Guidelines.
The SCP – HSD Call for Applications was released in November 2020 and applications were due January 29, 2021, with awards and procurement estimated April 2021, projects underway fall 2021, and implementation occurring through June 2023.
Read more about the Sustainable Communities Program.
Housing Production Study
In order to assist cities in the SCAG region in meeting state transportation, Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA), housing, and climate goals, as well as implementing Senate Bill 375 (SB 375) through Connect SoCal, this study will identify potential strategies and tools to expedite the production of housing by investigating opportunities and barriers.
SCAG initiated the Regional Housing Production study to support regional priorities to support infill development, housing production goals, and aligned regional policies (e.g., Priority Growth Areas, High Quality Transit Areas, Livable Corridors, etc.). As part of the overall study, SCAG is organizing virtual roundtable discussions of a wide range of stakeholders to share best practices, provide input on upcoming funding opportunities, and help inform the region’s legislative priorities for a just recovery. The study will look at innovative housing production strategies to produce units of all types for households of all ages, sizes, and income levels. The project will include preparation of a housing strategy “white paper,” and an opportunities and barriers checklist. The final study is scheduled to be completed in Summer 2021.
Transit Oriented Development Work Program
LA Metro Partnership: SCAG and Metro will enter into a Transit Oriented Development/Transit Oriented Communities (TOD/TOC) partnership via a MOU to fund a variety of programs and studies that promote housing production near transit stations.
SCRRA (Metrolink): SCAG and SCRRA will enter into a partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to identify and encourage transit-oriented housing production opportunities throughout Metrolink’s network and around its stations. Particular emphasis will be made to support and add value to the Metrolink Southern California Optimized Rail Expansion (SCORE) capital improvement and service enhancement program. Local cities and CTCs will also be included as needed to maximize coordination on issues such as alignment of land development policies and regulations, land ownership and site control opportunities of transit station areas and supporting facilities.
Priority Growth Area (PGA) Analysis and Data Tools
Partnerships
SCAG will pursue partnerships to further next steps on housing supportive land use analysis and strategy development in PGAs. All programs and studies will include deliverables that provide inventories/counts of potential for housing production at sites that are under study.
Planning and Policy Research
SCAG will partner with academic institutions as well as other stakeholder groups and industry associations to identify best practices to either unlock new housing development potential, remove barriers to housing development, reduce the cost of development and decrease development timelines. These efforts will focus on various community typologies and housing types, consistent with the SCS and will also build on SCAG’s CEQA streamlining efforts.
CONNECT SOCAL 2024 SUBCOMMITTEES
In September 2022, SCAG launched three subcommittees to look at emerging issues for the Connect SoCal 2024 plan.
The Resilience and Conservation subcommittee, and the Racial Equity and Regional Planning subcommittee concluded last month, and members of both committees unanimously approved a set of recommendations.
The Next Generation Infrastructure subcommittee will meet on Feb. 15 to review their key findings and finalize their own recommendations.
10 SPOTS STILL AVAILABLE FOR HOUSING SUPPORTIVE GRANT APPLICATION TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
In addition to Permanent Local Housing Allocation application assistance, SCAG is offering technical assistance for jurisdictions and Tribal Governments to prepare and submit applications for housing-supportive funding.
State Agency Meetings
On Nov. 8 and 9, SCAG Executive Director Kome Ajise and SCAG Planning Director Sarah Jepson traveled to Sacramento for a series of meetings with executive leadership at the California Air Resources Board (CARB), the California Office of Planning Research (OPR), the California Strategic Growth Council (SGC) and the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS).
REGIONAL EARLY ACTION PROGRAM (REAP) 2.0 PROGRAM UPDATE
Continuing development of the REAP 2.0 program, staff have been conducting outreach to identify priorities for transformative planning and implementation. This has included engaging representatives from disadvantaged and rural communities on their participation in the program. Most recently, staff hosted virtual workshops to provide information and collect feedback from tribal entities and the public.
REGIONAL EARLY ACTION PROGRAM (REAP) 2.0 PROGRAM UPDATE
Since the approval of the REAP 2.0 Program Framework by the Regional Council (RC) in July, staff has continued outreach efforts to develop specific programs using the framework as a guiding document.
33rd Annual Demographic Workshop Dates Announced
The 33rd Annual Demographic Workshop, co-hosted by SCAG and the University of Southern California, will be held virtually on the afternoons of Wednesday, Sept. 14, and Wednesday, Sept. 21. This year’s workshop will explore the demographic trends that have and have not bounced back following the COVID-19 pandemic, how different populations have experienced the rebound in different ways, and the impact of remote work and other emerging trends in our cities. More information will be available soon.
President Harnik Shares Region’s Housing and Transportation Priorities
SCAG President Jan Harnik had the pleasure of hosting a recent meeting with Senate Transportation Committee Chair Lena Gonzalez (D-Long Beach) to discuss our region’s housing and transportation budget priorities, such as the Regional Council’s support for an augmentation to the Infill Infrastructure Grant program and using budget surplus dollars to fully fund the Active Transportation Program.
State Housing Funds Awarded to 29 SCAG Jurisdictions
The California Department of Housing and Community Development approved another 35 jurisdictions for Permanent Local Housing Allocation (PLHA) funds, bringing the total to 135 jurisdictions state-wide. Specifically, 29 of the 35 jurisdictions are located in the SCAG region and totaled another $49.4 million in homelessness and affordable housing funds for PLHA’s second round. Total SCAG awards for PLHA’s second round are $121.9 million for 54 jurisdictions.
REGISTER FOR THE 57TH ANNUAL REGIONAL CONFERENCE & GENERAL ASSEMBLY
SCAG’s 57th Annual Regional Conference & General Assembly is just around the corner on May 5–6. Register today for access to high-quality presentations and panels, featuring engaging speakers and thought leaders, and unbeatable networking opportunities filled with collaborative, solution-oriented discussions on fostering change and addressing challenges in our communities.
REGISTRATION FOR THE 57TH ANNUAL REGIONAL CONFERENCE & GENERAL ASSEMBLY IS NOW OPEN!
Join Southern California’s most influential elected officials and policymakers on May 5–6, 2022 at the JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa in Palm Desert, CA. This two-day event will focus on solution-oriented discussions to address the most pressing problems facing communities, businesses, and families throughout the SCAG region. General admission tickets for the event are $350, but registrations done in advance by Thursday, March 31 using the code EARLYBIRD will receive $100 off the general admission price.
The February 2022 Executive Director’s Report covers the agency’s major activities, key programs, and accomplishments over the past month.
The January 2022 Executive Director’s Report covers the agency’s major activities, key programs, and accomplishments over the past month.