AB 2002 Introduced in Sacramento to Codify REAP 1.0 in State Law; SCAG Votes to Sponsor
Assemblymember Jose Solache (D-Lynwood), former SCAG Regional Council member and Legislative/Communications and Membership Committee chair, last week introduced Assembly Bill (AB) 2002 to codify the Regional Early Action Program (REAP 1.0) grant program along with a proposed $125 million complementary budget request. The SCAG Regional Council approved sponsorship of AB 2002 and the budget request at the March 4 meeting.
SCAG’s role in housing work has changed in recent years to include supporting jurisdictions and partners across the region to increase housing production—a shift made possible by state funding from the REAP program.
The REAP program represents a new approach to addressing the housing crisis, providing resources to pilot and test solutions at the local level and confronting multiple barriers to housing production. SCAG received $47 million in REAP 1.0 and $231.5 million in REAP 2.0, which SCAG largely suballocated across Southern California to fund critical efforts to support accelerating housing production. The funding from REAP 1.0 made a significant contribution to the more than 450,000 housing units submitted for permitting and more than 230,000 units permitted between 2020 and 2023 in Southern California. Also during this time, REAP 1.0 supported the adoption of 140 fair housing programs and enabled SCAG to provide technical assistance to 129 agencies on housing elements and/or site inventories in the region. REAP 1.0 demonstrated that small, upstream investments in planning yield significant downstream gains in housing readiness and production.
“REAP 1.0 marked the first time the state invested in the implementation of the Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) program, which allowed SCAG to support regional collaboration and community‑focused planning to effectively prepare for the 1.34 million housing units allocated to our region in the 6th Cycle,” said Kome Ajise, SCAG executive director. “REAP 1.0 strengthened RHNA implementation, supported local planning and zoning readiness, and gave cities and counties the tools they needed to meet their planning obligations.”
If signed into law, AB 2002 would establish the Regional Early Action Program (REAP 1.0) grant program, allowing the state to allocate funds to support the implementation of the Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) at the beginning of each cycle. AB 2002 would also allow councils of government and other metropolitan planning organizations to invest in eligible uses, including planning activities, technical assistance for housing element updates, and support for housing trusts, among others. AB 2002 would also allow COGs and MPOs to suballocate to local jurisdictions to directly support local housing planning and housing element updates.
With the housing affordability crisis reaching new levels and an increasing need to find local solutions to new state laws, codifying REAP would deliver essential resources to support local jurisdictions during the 7th Cycle of the RHNA process. “Codifying REAP would preserve a proven, cost‑effective framework at a time when the next RHNA cycle is poised to begin, ensuring regions and jurisdictions have ongoing support to keep pace with these rising demands,” added Ajise.
The complementary $125 million budget request that accompanies AB 2002 would provide immediate support for 7th-cycle RHNA implementation and accelerate housing production by enhancing planning capacity across jurisdictions, ensuring continued support for zoning updates, feasibility studies, infrastructure planning, and permitting improvements, and reinforcing regional efforts that began with REAP 1.0 in 2019 to meet regional and statewide housing needs.
AB 2002 will now be heard in committees and considered on the floor in the State Assembly. SCAG will coordinate with stakeholders to advocate for the bill, including it as a top priority for discussion at SCAG’s Annual Sacramento Summit on March 16-17.