REAP 1.0 Case Study: Housing Policy Leadership Academy

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.