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Regional Early Action Planning
SCAG was awarded $47 million in Regional Early Action Planning (REAP) funding from Assembly Bill (AB) 101 to provide housing planning and process improvement services to cities and counties.
Subregional Partnership Program
SCAG set aside approximately $23 million, or 50 percent, of its REAP funding, for the Subregional Partnership Program, which is funding a call for projects from subregional partners. Subregional Projects are designed to augment and complement funds that were awarded to jurisdictions by the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) pursuant to SB (Senate Bill) 2 Planning Grants and the Local Early Action Program (LEAP) and increase housing supply to meet the 6th Cycle RHNA.
This subregional partnership approach creates a means for local efforts to align with SCAG’s regional plans and implement the broader goals of the Connect SoCal Plan.
View the Subregional Partnership Program Fact Sheet
Contact
Ma’Ayn Johnson
johnson@scag.ca.gov
(213) 236-1975
In response to the results from the Development Streamlining Questionnaire, and as part of our efforts to accelerate housing production, SCAG has prepared a series of guidance materials included below. The guidance material topics were carefully selected based on feedback and include a combination of streamlining options or exemptions under CEQA and other state laws.
Development Streamlining Materials
Recent changes in State laws to CEQA’s environmental review process as well as new State laws to streamline administrative review processes have created new opportunities for jurisdictions with regulatory land use control to streamline and shorten the entitlement process and accelerate the production of much needed housing.
The guidance materials below were developed to provide support and pathways for local jurisdictions and land use practitioners to address these challenges.
- Development Streamlining Guidance Materials
- What is CEQA Streamlining?
- Senate Bill 375: CEQA Streamlining
- CEQA Streamlining Options for Non-Exempt Housing Projects Covered by an Existing EIR: Project Eligibility Review Matrix
- CEQA Streamlining For Infill Projects and Projects Consistent With Community Plan and Zoning
- CEQA Categorical Exemptions
- CEQA Exemptions for Housing Projects: Project Eligibility Review Matrix
- Transit Priority Project and Transit-Oriented Project CEQA Exemptions
- CEQA Article 12.5 - Exemptions For Agricultural Affordable and Infill Housing
- Legislative Summary of AB 2345 - Density Bonus Law
- Density Bonus Law: What are Incentives, Concessions, and Waivers?
- Senate Bill 9: Ministerial Approval of Duplexes and Urban Lot Splits
- Senate Bill 10: Local Rezoning for “Missing Middle” Housing Production
- Senate Bill 35: Affordable Housing Streamlined Approval
- Senate Bill 330 and Senate Bill 8: Summary of Housing Crisis Act of 2019
Virtual Workshops and Office Hours
SCAG will be hosting a series of virtual workshops and office hours to review these guidance materials. These workshops are an opportunity to stay involved and share your thoughts and questions on the materials. Event details are posted below.
Office Hours
On Aug. 30, 2023, SCAG will be hosting an “office hours” session to address follow-up questions from the previously held workshops and/or general questions related to the Development Streamlining efforts.
If you are interested, please sign-up for a timeslot here: SCAG Office Hours (office365.com)
Registrations are limited and are first-come first-serve. Future office hours sessions will be announced later.
SCAG Development Streamlining Workshop #1
On Thursday, March 23, 2023, at 11:30 a.m. SCAG held the first in a series of virtual workshops to learn more about SCAG’s Development Streamlining efforts to help expedite housing approvals. The topic for this first workshop included an overview of SB 35 and SB 330 along with good practices for each.
View the Workshop #1 Powerpoint
View the full presentation below:
SCAG Development Streamlining Workshop #2
On Thursday, April 13, 2023, at 11:30 a.m. SCAG held the second in a series of virtual workshops to learn more about SCAG’s Development Streamlining efforts to help expedite housing approvals. This workshop offered a brief overview of the Density Bonus Law and AB 2345, recent amendments, the difference between incentives/concessions and waivers, and provided some examples.
View the Workshop #2 PowerPoint
View the full presentation below:
SCAG Development Streamlining Workshop #3
On Tuesday, May 23, 2023, at 11:30 a.m. SCAG held the third in a series of virtual workshops to learn more about SCAG’s Development Streamlining efforts to help expedite housing approvals. The topic for the third workshop will offer an overview of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) provisions that can help streamline environmental review for qualifying housing projects.
View the Workshop #3 PowerPoint
View the full presentation below:
SCAG Development Streamlining Workshop #4
On Tuesday, June 20, 2023, at 11:30 a.m. SCAG hosted the final in a series of virtual workshops to learn about SCAG’s Development Streamlining efforts and guidance materials to help SCAG’s member agencies expedite housing approvals. The topic for this final workshop presented various California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) provisions using prior CEQA documents and other options to streamline environmental review for qualifying housing projects.
View the Workshop #4 PowerPoint
View the full presentation below:
For further questions or comments regarding the ongoing Development Streamlining, please contact Nashia Lalani at lalani@scag.ca.gov or 213-630-1477.
SCAG is pleased to share that the Housing Policy Leadership Academcy (HPLA) concluded in December 2022, following the success of a 10-month educational and traning program offered across eight cohorts. The online traning course brought together local leaders in monthly sessions to explore the relationship between policy, planning and housing development.
The HPLA program was funded by the State’s Regional Early Action Planning (REAP) grant program and supports the region’s efforts in response to recent state investments in planning to accelerate housing production and meet the goals of the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA).
In partnership with the Global Policy Leadership Academy, the academy provided a free virtual 10-session course to 322 people in the region, including elected officials, economic development and planning practioners, business leaders, housing advocates and community leaders. During this time, participants explored how different policy solutions shape both the physical and social landscape, capacity to produce housing for all and how to proactively contribute to accelerate housing production. Their work concluded with a research project and policy proposal. Some participants will seek to further their in-class research by garnering stakeholder support, local approvals and funding to execute their policy recommendations.
Alongside the training program, SCAG hosted a series of hour public forums on housing policy issues and trends, federal and state housing legislation and funding trends and homeownership.
Contact
Alisha James
james@scag.ca.gov
(213) 236-1884
SCAG’s Commitment to Southern California’s Housing Crisis
The SCAG Housing Policy Forum Series offers an opportunity for emerging and established leaders to engage in shared learning about housing policy issues and trends while identifying opportunities for cross-sector collaboration and innovation. This initiative seeks to educate policymakers and thought leaders on best practice solutions to support coalition building and equitable housing development.
The first Forum was held in Fall 2021 and focused on the challenges and opportunities in federal and state housing legislation. The second forum, scheduled for April 2022, will provide a rundown of opportunities to accelerate housing production and gain insights of SCAG’s REAP programs. Additional forums will be held in Summer and Fall 2022.
Who Should Attend a Housing Policy Forum?
- Public agency staff from any departments and divisions (e.g., housing, planning, community and human services, parks and recreation, economic development, public works, public safety, public health, and more)
- Elected officials
- Planning commissioners
- Housing and tenant rights advocates
- Housing developers (building market rate, workforce, and affordable products for both rental and homeownership)
- Education, healthcare, and social services professionals
- Transit, climate and environment, and parks advocates
- Labor organizations
- Employers and anchor institutions
Get Involved
Contact
Alisha James
Community Engagement Specialist
james@scag.ca.gov
(213) 236-1884
The State’s Regional Early Action Planning (REAP) grant program has supported the creation of the Other-to-Residential Toolkit, a unique tool that guides planners and policymakers step-by-step in facilitating more residential development in their jurisdictions by converting underutilized non-residential (other) land uses to residential.
With the growing housing crisis across the State and the built-out nature of cities in the SCAG region, the Toolkit aims to provide a resource for decision-makers to think outside the box to stimulate more housing production and focuses on the conversion potential of commercial uses, emphasizing retail strip centers, gas stations, brownfields, and golf courses.
What Is In The Toolkit?
The Toolkit contains a “step-by-step” guide as a clear path to conversion of these site typologies including direction on identifying viable sites for residential conversion, case studies of best practices and implementable actions, and a toolbox of policies, programs, and initiatives for agencies to consider.
- Step-by-Step Guide: guides readers on how to identify potential opportunity sites of a specific site typology, the existing issues and barriers to their conversion, potential tools for agency action to facilitate housing development and potential project/site conversion scenario examples.
- Other-to-Residential Toolbox: detailed resources and tools that include guidance on removing regulatory barriers, reducing development risk, and brownfield remediation. The toolbox provides an explanation of each tool along with examples of how to apply them.
- Case Studies: illustrate real-world examples of residential conversion of the four site typologies discussed in the Toolkit.
Who Should Use The Toolkit?
Developers, planners, builders, decision-makers and anyone involved and interested in residential housing production.
Other-to-Residential Toolkit StoryMap
The Other-to-Residential Toolkit includes an interactive StoryMap that features key highlights of the toolkit, including success stories of site conversions into residential, the methodology for identifying sites, and an overview of the toolkit.
Click here to view the StoryMap.
Contact
David Kyobe
Associate Regional Planner
kyobe@scag.ca.gov
(213) 236-1858
In response to the results from the Development Streamlining Questionnaire, and as part of our efforts to accelerate housing production, SCAG has prepared a series of guidance materials included below. The guidance material topics were carefully selected based on feedback and include a combination of streamlining options or exemptions under CEQA and other state laws.
SCAG is pleased to share that the Housing Policy Leadership Academcy (HPLA) concluded in December 2022, following the success of a 10-month educational and traning program offered across eight cohorts. The online traning course brought together local leaders in monthly sessions to explore the relationship between policy, planning and housing development.
SCAG’s Commitment to Southern California’s Housing Crisis
The SCAG Housing Policy Forum Series offers an opportunity for emerging and established leaders to engage in shared learning about housing policy issues and trends while identifying opportunities for cross-sector collaboration and innovation. This initiative seeks to educate policymakers and thought leaders on best practice solutions to support coalition building and equitable housing development.
The State’s Regional Early Action Planning (REAP) grant program has supported the creation of the Other-to-Residential Toolkit, a unique tool that guides planners and policymakers step-by-step in facilitating more residential development in their jurisdictions by converting underutilized non-residential (other) land uses to residential.
