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Regional Early Action Planning (REAP 1.0) Grant Program
After the state allocated $47 million in Regional Early Action Planning funding to SCAG in 2019, SCAG implemented a technical assistance and funding program to accelerate housing production by providing resources to local jurisdictions, subregional partners, and community-based organizations. `
This technical assistance component of REAP 1.0 primarily focused on implementing the Connect SoCal 2020 Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy and supporting cities and counties in developing 6th cycle housing elements and land use plans, policies, and other programs to ensure housing production goals are met.
SCAG’s REAP 1.0 program focused on local-level implementation that directly led to housing production by funding programs that support improving housing equity, increasing housing supply and affordability, increasing accessibility, advancing policy through engagement, increasing diversity and choice, and increasing financial tools.
The REAP 1.0 program also funded the Housing and Sustainable Development program, providing sources and direct technical assistance to approximately 25 jurisdictions for local planning efforts that accelerate housing production.
The REAP 1.0 program resulted in various adopted land use plans, development streamlining tools, financing strategies, and planning strategies identifying best practices that can be scaled across the region. Best practices and case studies can be found in the resource library. Ultimately, the program presented the importance of capacity building and incorporating partnerships in the planning process.
The Housing Policy Leadership Academy (HPLA) offered a 10-month educational and training program across eight cohorts to explore how different policy solutions shape the physical and social landscape, to influence the capacity to produce housing for all, and to study how to proactively accelerate housing production. The online training course gathered 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 grant program of 2019 and supports the region’s efforts to accelerate housing production and meet Regional Housing Needs Assessment goals.
Project Amount: $815,823
Housing Impact
A total of 154 participants completed the program. Graduates include 18 mayors and city council members, seven policy advisors, six planning commissioners, and 23 planning and housing department professionals. Participants of the academy represented 34 jurisdictions across the SCAG region.
All participants concluded their work with a research project and policy proposal. Some members noted plans to continue working on the initiatives they started in class and seek stakeholder support, local approvals, and funding to implement the policy recommendations. Popular proposal topics included creating accessory dwelling unit incentives, building community ownership through community land trusts, and incorporating overlay zones to build more affordable housing. Notable proposals moving forward include a plan to re-zone a publicly owned courthouse parking lot in the San Fernando Valley for affordable housing, establish the Coachella Valley Community Land Trust, develop a limited equity housing cooperative in Santa Ana, and establish an overlay zone that would allow faith institutions to develop their land for affordable housing in Fullerton.
Regional Value
By building a coalition of informed advocates, this initiative strengthens local housing efforts and enhances collaboration between communities and state agencies to address the growing demand for housing solutions. This program was widely successful, recognized by the National Association of Regional Councils, and replicated by the San Diego Association of Governments.
SCAG partnered with the California Community Foundation, the Irvine Foundation, and the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative to combine SCAG’s $1 million contribution of Regional Early Action Planning funds with matching funds. The Call for Collaboration was the first of its kind at SCAG, partnering with philanthropic organizations to fund nonprofits and community-based organizations to advance Regional Housing Needs Assessment goals. The program funded several grants for nonprofit organizations to increase community involvement in local planning and housing initiatives, fostering diverse community-driven activities to create more housing in communities facing historic racial inequities.
Project Amount: $1,000,000
Housing Impact
The program was oversubscribed four times, issuing $1.3 million in grant awards to 15 nonprofits. Projects varied but mostly focused on housing elements, overlay zones, land trusts, local control, and community benefit agreements. Overall, the program created community engagement, reaching 16,670 participants at convenings, workshops, advisory councils, focus groups, and other public events. The project also engaged with more than 100 city planners and city representatives.
Regional Value
The Call for Collaboration program promoted the role of community-based work in housing and social justice, allowing for more community involvement about housing planning and policies and supporting community-based organizations in building capacity.
| Inland Empire (Riverside and San Bernardino Counties) | Los Angeles County | Orange County | Ventura County |
| Lift to Rise | |||
| Inland Empire Community Land Trust | LA Forward | People for Housing Orange County | Central Coastal Alliance United for Sustainable Economy (CAUSE) |
| Neighborhood Housing Series of the Inland Empire | Long Beach Forward | THRIVE Santa Ana | |
Just San Bernardino | Social Justice Learning Institute | ||
| Inland Equity Community Land Trust | LA Voice |
The Other-to-Residential Toolkit is a unique tool that guides planners and policymakers step-by-step in facilitating more residential development in their jurisdictions by converting underutilized non-residential (retail strip centers, gas stations, brownfields, and golf courses) land uses to residential. The step-by-step guide serves as a broad framework and sequence of activities to explore site conversions, including feasibility assessment, strategies to catalyze change and engage community stakeholders, and possible road maps for jurisdictions to pursue.
Project Amount: $137,740
Housing Impact
The program was oversubscribed four times, issuing $1.3 million in grant awards to 15 nonprofits. Projects varied but mostly focused on housing elements, overlay zones, land trusts, local control, and community benefit agreements. Overall, the program created community engagement, reaching 16,670 participants at convenings, workshops, advisory councils, focus groups, and other public events. The project also engaged with more than 100 city planners and city representatives.
The toolkit is structured in three parts, beginning with the step-by-step guide that identifies potential opportunity sites and existing barriers to conversion. Second, a toolbox addresses roadblocks to successful redevelopment of opportunity sites. Finally, project scenarios created in partnership with graduate students from the University of Southern California Sol Price School of Public Policy are presented. These project scenarios represent typical sites and conditions in the SCAG region and serve as inspiration for conversion opportunities.
Regional Value
With the growing housing crisis across the state and the built-out nature of cities in the SCAG region, the Other-to-Residential Toolkit provides a resource for decision-makers to think outside the box to stimulate more housing production.
The SCAG Regional Rail Station Area Housing Analysis supported efforts across the region to accelerate housing production at all income levels, at or near regional rail stations (e.g., Metrolink). More specifically, the analysis stimulated residential development in select station areas with the most development potential by systematically identifying opportunity areas, coordinating with local jurisdictions, and implementing actions that will drive the production of housing and housing-supportive infrastructure.
This project consisted of four phases: completing a system-wide scan of housing potential near regional rail stations, identifying station areas with higher housing potential, working with nine jurisdictions to develop individualized work plans, and preparing housing implementation strategies for all nine jurisdictions.
The nine jurisdictions that volunteered to participate in this study:
| Buena Park | Corona | San Bernardino/Omnitrans |
| Oxnard | Riverside | Pomona |
| Rancho Cucamonga | Laguana Niguel | Fullerton |
Project Amount: $717,444
Housing Impact
Work efforts for each of the nine projects included helping jurisdictions identify sites and parcels for Regional Housing Needs Assessment allocations, analyzing existing zoning and specific plans, and identifying zoning code modifications necessary to attract housing development. The participating cities received an implementation strategy including, but not limited to:
| A station area market. | Targeted performance strategies setting up transparent reporting for housing production in the station area. |
| Tailored land use strategies. | Assistance in implementing the state’s newest housing laws. |
| Tailored finance and infrastructure strategies. | Station area visualization. |
Regional Value
Transit-oriented development projects are crucial for housing growth because they promote the efficient use of land, reduce dependency on cars, and foster more environmentally friendly and economically efficient communities. This project helped maximize opportunities for station area housing production and identify common themes and challenges for station area housing production.
The Housing Policy Leadership Academy (HPLA) offered a 10-month educational and training program across eight cohorts to explore how different policy solutions shape the physical and social landscape, to influence the capacity to produce housing for all, and to study how to proactively accelerate housing production. The online training course gathered 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 grant program of 2019 and supports the region’s efforts to accelerate housing production and meet Regional Housing Needs Assessment goals.
Project Amount: $815,823
Housing Impact
A total of 154 participants completed the program. Graduates include 18 mayors and city council members, seven policy advisors, six planning commissioners, and 23 planning and housing department professionals. Participants of the academy represented 34 jurisdictions across the SCAG region.
All participants concluded their work with a research project and policy proposal. Some members noted plans to continue working on the initiatives they started in class and seek stakeholder support, local approvals, and funding to implement the policy recommendations. Popular proposal topics included creating accessory dwelling unit incentives, building community ownership through community land trusts, and incorporating overlay zones to build more affordable housing. Notable proposals moving forward include a plan to re-zone a publicly owned courthouse parking lot in the San Fernando Valley for affordable housing, establish the Coachella Valley Community Land Trust, develop a limited equity housing cooperative in Santa Ana, and establish an overlay zone that would allow faith institutions to develop their land for affordable housing in Fullerton.
Regional Value
By building a coalition of informed advocates, this initiative strengthens local housing efforts and enhances collaboration between communities and state agencies to address the growing demand for housing solutions. This program was widely successful, recognized by the National Association of Regional Councils, and replicated by the San Diego Association of Governments.
SCAG partnered with the California Community Foundation, the Irvine Foundation, and the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative to combine SCAG’s $1 million contribution of Regional Early Action Planning funds with matching funds. The Call for Collaboration was the first of its kind at SCAG, partnering with philanthropic organizations to fund nonprofits and community-based organizations to advance Regional Housing Needs Assessment goals. The program funded several grants for nonprofit organizations to increase community involvement in local planning and housing initiatives, fostering diverse community-driven activities to create more housing in communities facing historic racial inequities.
Project Amount: $1,000,000
Housing Impact
The program was oversubscribed four times, issuing $1.3 million in grant awards to 15 nonprofits. Projects varied but mostly focused on housing elements, overlay zones, land trusts, local control, and community benefit agreements. Overall, the program created community engagement, reaching 16,670 participants at convenings, workshops, advisory councils, focus groups, and other public events. The project also engaged with more than 100 city planners and city representatives.
Regional Value
The Call for Collaboration program promoted the role of community-based work in housing and social justice, allowing for more community involvement about housing planning and policies and supporting community-based organizations in building capacity.
| Inland Empire (Riverside and San Bernardino Counties) | Los Angeles County | Orange County | Ventura County |
| Lift to Rise | |||
| Inland Empire Community Land Trust | LA Forward | People for Housing Orange County | Central Coastal Alliance United for Sustainable Economy (CAUSE) |
| Neighborhood Housing Series of the Inland Empire | Long Beach Forward | THRIVE Santa Ana | |
Just San Bernardino | Social Justice Learning Institute | ||
| Inland Equity Community Land Trust | LA Voice |
The Other-to-Residential Toolkit is a unique tool that guides planners and policymakers step-by-step in facilitating more residential development in their jurisdictions by converting underutilized non-residential (retail strip centers, gas stations, brownfields, and golf courses) land uses to residential. The step-by-step guide serves as a broad framework and sequence of activities to explore site conversions, including feasibility assessment, strategies to catalyze change and engage community stakeholders, and possible road maps for jurisdictions to pursue.
Project Amount: $137,740
Housing Impact
The program was oversubscribed four times, issuing $1.3 million in grant awards to 15 nonprofits. Projects varied but mostly focused on housing elements, overlay zones, land trusts, local control, and community benefit agreements. Overall, the program created community engagement, reaching 16,670 participants at convenings, workshops, advisory councils, focus groups, and other public events. The project also engaged with more than 100 city planners and city representatives.
The toolkit is structured in three parts, beginning with the step-by-step guide that identifies potential opportunity sites and existing barriers to conversion. Second, a toolbox addresses roadblocks to successful redevelopment of opportunity sites. Finally, project scenarios created in partnership with graduate students from the University of Southern California Sol Price School of Public Policy are presented. These project scenarios represent typical sites and conditions in the SCAG region and serve as inspiration for conversion opportunities.
Regional Value
With the growing housing crisis across the state and the built-out nature of cities in the SCAG region, the Other-to-Residential Toolkit provides a resource for decision-makers to think outside the box to stimulate more housing production.
The SCAG Regional Rail Station Area Housing Analysis supported efforts across the region to accelerate housing production at all income levels, at or near regional rail stations (e.g., Metrolink). More specifically, the analysis stimulated residential development in select station areas with the most development potential by systematically identifying opportunity areas, coordinating with local jurisdictions, and implementing actions that will drive the production of housing and housing-supportive infrastructure.
This project consisted of four phases: completing a system-wide scan of housing potential near regional rail stations, identifying station areas with higher housing potential, working with nine jurisdictions to develop individualized work plans, and preparing housing implementation strategies for all nine jurisdictions.
The nine jurisdictions that volunteered to participate in this study:
| Buena Park | Corona | San Bernardino/Omnitrans |
| Oxnard | Riverside | Pomona |
| Rancho Cucamonga | Laguana Niguel | Fullerton |
Project Amount: $717,444
Housing Impact
Work efforts for each of the nine projects included helping jurisdictions identify sites and parcels for Regional Housing Needs Assessment allocations, analyzing existing zoning and specific plans, and identifying zoning code modifications necessary to attract housing development. The participating cities received an implementation strategy including, but not limited to:
| A station area market. | Targeted performance strategies setting up transparent reporting for housing production in the station area. |
| Tailored land use strategies. | Assistance in implementing the state’s newest housing laws. |
| Tailored finance and infrastructure strategies. | Station area visualization. |
Regional Value
Transit-oriented development projects are crucial for housing growth because they promote the efficient use of land, reduce dependency on cars, and foster more environmentally friendly and economically efficient communities. This project helped maximize opportunities for station area housing production and identify common themes and challenges for station area housing production.