SCAG Awards $20 Million to Advance Lasting Housing Affordability Across Southern California
The SCAG Regional Council, on March 5, approved an allocation of $20 million to support existing local financing tools that help fund housing delivery across the region.
The second round of Lasting Affordability Program funding targets established housing trusts and catalyst funds to expand existing finance tools and lending products that create supply, choice, and ongoing affordability through a mix of housing types and price ranges, including for households at or below area median income. Funding for these grants comes from awards SCAG received under the state’s Regional Early Action Planning (REAP) program.
By investing in established housing trusts and catalyst funds with demonstrated capacity, SCAG is helping to accelerate infill housing production and preservation while ensuring long-term affordability.
Here are the award recipients:
- City of Anaheim. Anaheim Local Housing Trust Gap Financing for Workforce Housing ($5,000,000)
- Community Corporation of Santa Monica and West Hollywood Community Housing Corporation. Southern California High Opportunity Zone ($4,000,000)
- National Core Housing Catalyst Fund ($5,000,000)
- Neighborhood Housing Services of the Inland Empire. Inland Empire Infill Development and Homeownership Catalyst ($1,000,000)
- Orange County Housing Trust. Orange County Ownership Housing Development Fund ($5,000,000)
“We congratulate these five awardees for the innovative approaches they’re taking in addressing Southern California’s housing crisis and look forward to the positive impact they will have on their communities and the region,” said SCAG Executive Director Kome Ajise.
The call for applications for the second round of the Lasting Affordability Program was open from Nov. 17, 2025, to Jan. 20, 2026. In addition to providing comprehensive application materials and resources, SCAG supported potential applicants through online information sessions and one-on-one office hours, providing guidance on eligibility, scoring criteria, and project timeline.
SCAG suballocated $45 million through the first Lasting Affordability Program funding cycle in November 2023 to create and expand housing trusts, catalyst funds, and innovative financing strategies that secure long-term affordability.
The second phase of the state’s REAP program seeks to accelerate progress toward state housing goals and climate commitments by strengthening partnerships between the state, its regions, and local entities. The program aims to support infill housing development, reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT), increase housing supply at all affordability levels, affirmatively further fair housing, and implement adopted regional and local plans to achieve these goals.
For more information on both Lasting Affordability Program funding rounds, as well as the other Programs to Accelerate Transformative Housing (PATH) funded by SCAG’s Regional Early Action Program, visit SCAG’s PATH website.