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.
REAP 1.0 Project Case Studies
- Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Transit-Oriented Development Partnership (SCAG Program)
Project Amount: $273,690
SCAG and the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) created a partnership to fund a three-part program promoting housing production near Metro transit stations. Each part accelerates housing delivery and includes evaluating station access, parking strategies, joint development strategies, housing-supportive community outreach, and industry forums. The goal of the partnership is to plan for nearly 10,000 housing units on transit-adjacent properties.
Housing Impact
This work resulted in the successful completion of three Metro projects: a Joint Development Strategy, a Community Collaboration for Equitable Housing Acceleration plan, and Innovative Housing Solutions strategy, all of which are complimentary and bring Metro to achieving its goal of facilitating the development of 10,000 housing units by 2030.
Regional Value
In October 2021, Metro adopted an aggressive goal for the Joint Development Program to complete 10,000 housing units, at least 5,000 of which will be income-restricted, in the next 10 years. The Metro Transit-Oriented Development Partnership project developed robust, strategic plans to accelerate the delivery of units as sites become available for development, creating a meaningful difference in the regional housing crisis.
- Enhanced Infrastructure Financing Districts Projects (Housing and Sustainable Development)
Project Amount: $1,280,000
SCAG-funded projects to implement tax increment financing districts, including enhanced infrastructure financing districts (EIFDs), across the region to housing production. Specifically, these projects call for products or programs tied to accelerating housing production and community needs that can be best practices for cities in the region and provide reliable funding sources.
Housing Impact
SCAG funded seven EIFD studies across the region, with potential to capture approximately $3.1 billion to fund housing production, public facilities, infrastructure, parks, and economic development efforts. To date, the cities of Covina and Yucaipa have successfully developed EIFDs. Covina has an estimated lifetime value of $27 million and has identified six potential projects for funding. Yucaipa has an estimated value of up to $32.9 million over the district’s lifetime and has identified six potential projects for funding.
Regional Value
EIFDs can play a critical role in shaping the future of regional infrastructure and economic development. EIFDs foster collaboration among various stakeholders, including local governments, developers, and community groups, which can lead to more comprehensive planning and implementation of regional projects, such as affordable housing. These projects pursued a longer-term housing production strategy by creating ways to fund housing production and related infrastructure.
- Objective Development Standards (Housing and Sustainable Development)
Project Amount: $1,221,456
The Objective Development Standards project supported the cities of Montebello, Santa Fe Springs, Santa Monica, and South Pasadena with objective development standards and streamlined entitlement and permitting processes to accelerate multi-family residential and mixed-use development.
Housing Impact
The project resulted in the development of 13 custom zone standards, four permit application improvements, and 40 process improvement tools. This was accomplished by analyzing existing policy documents, development standards and regulations, and permit procedures identifying areas to streamline the permit process, simplifying and consolidating permit application forms, and clarifying existing or new development standards. Recommendations were shared with cities to help appropriately calibrate them to meet the cities’ needs.
Regional Value
The Objective Design Standards project provided technical assistance to jurisdictions to streamline their residential permitting processes. These projects resulted in adopted ordinances for participating cities, which are expected to reduce uncertainty and permitting time for housing permits.
Project 1 Bundle Project 2 Bundle City of Montebello City of Grand Terrace City of Sante Fe Springs City of Newport Beach City of Santa Monica City of Westminster City of South Pasadena City of Coachella - Call for Collaboration
Project Amount: $1,000,000
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.
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
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 - Housing Policy Leadership Academy
Project Amount: $815,823
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.
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 Regional Rail Station Area Housing Analysis
Project Amount: $717,444
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 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 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.
- Gateway Housing Trust Fund (Subregional Partnership Program)
Project Amount: $464,238
The Gateway Housing Trust Fund increases local production of affordable housing by contributing to available funding for affordable housing and leveraging available matching funds. The project completed the requisite feasibility study and established the Gateway Cities Affordable Housing Trust in February 2023.
Housing Impact
The Gateway Cities Affordable Housing Trust was formed in February 2023 with the majority of Gateway Cities joining, the formation of the Trust Board, the acquisition of seed funding, and an initial funding award to a development of 32 extremely low-income units. The trust issued a second notice of funding available in February 2024 and received 10 applications for just over $18 million in funding—over three times the amount available—which demonstrated the demand for the funding.
Regional Value
Housing trust funds provide powerful tools to align financial resources with the goal of sustainable, long-term housing growth. This project is a model for many subregions to create incentives and accelerate housing production.
Image
- Redevelopment of Commercial Parcels
to Sustainable Housing – South Bay Cities (Subregional Partnership Program) Project Amount: $308,250
This project identified potentially underutilized or underperforming commercial properties—strip arterials, regional malls, office buildings, and industrial parks—as candidates for redevelopment into housing. The project’s goal was to identify such properties to accelerate housing development conversion amid commercial vacancies and declining commercial presence.
Housing Impact
This project included evaluation of 11 sites across six cities for commercial-to-residential conversion suitability, identifying five key considerations for commercial-to-residential conversions. The project increased guidance for redeveloping underperforming retail developments and other outmoded non-residential uses, prioritizing infill and redevelopment of underutilized land to accommodate new growth, increase amenities, and bolster connectivity in existing neighborhoods. The project also created a tool to effectively prioritize redevelopment locations that maximize walking as a mode of transportation.
Regional Value
This model project can be used as a best practice to address housing shortages, revitalize underutilized areas, promote sustainable land use, reduce vacant properties, increase housing affordability, and support walkable, mixed-use communities.
- Imperial County Colonias Housing Infrastructure Needs Assessment (Subregional Partnership Program)
Project Amount: $293,193
The unincorporated colonias are rural, low-income communities located along the U.S.-Mexico border lacking infrastructure and housing. Nine of 15 colonias in Imperial County are in unincorporated areas of the county. The Imperial County Colonias Housing Infrastructure Needs Assessment identified and prioritized infrastructure needed to increase housing stock in the unincorporated colonias of Imperial County, such as sidewalks, curbs and gutters, stormwater systems, and more. In these rural communities, the lack of infrastructure created a significant challenge to developing affordable housing.
Housing Impact
This assessment of current infrastructure and the analysis of needed improvements benefited current and future housing projects across several colonias communities by identifying and addressing foundational infrastructure needs. The project outlined 24 critical infrastructure improvements, with detailed housing and infrastructure needs assessments for each of the 15 colonias communities.
Regional Value
Supporting housing in the Imperial Colonias provides significant social, economic, and environmental benefits, addressing longstanding challenges in these underserved communities. By investing in housing solutions in the Imperial Colonias, SCAG addressed systemic issues, uplifted communities, and promoted long-term sustainability.
- Affordable Housing Catalyst Fund Investment Plan – Coachella Valley (Subregional Partnership Program)
Project Amount: $283,550
The Affordable Housing Catalyst Fund project is part of the housing action plan created by Lift to Rise, a nonprofit organization dedicated to addressing affordable housing in the Coachella Valley. The project identified funding opportunities for affordable housing development throughout the Coachella Valley, especially for projects that would be otherwise difficult to finance.
Housing Impact
The project provided operational funding for the development and execution of pre-development loans for housing construction throughout the Coachella Valley Association of Governments subregion. In total, the fund helped finance nine separate projects, creating 691 new housing units.
Regional Value
Catalyst funds are useful tools that can cycle available funding to projects at all phases of development, but especially those that are still working through the planning and entitlement phase. This project benefited members of the Coachella Valley Association of Governments community by identifying funding opportunities for affordable housing development and providing a new funding opportunity for development.
- Digital Utility Data Inventory Tool for Housing (Subregional Partnership Program)
Project Amount: $276,000
The city of Palmdale, on behalf of North County Transportation Coalition, developed a Digital Utility Data Inventory Tool for Housing. This comprehensive utility data inventory and interactive online viewing tool, displaying built and future master-planned utility infrastructure supportive of housing development in the Palmdale area, includes data for the city of Palmdale and adjacent unincorporated Los Angeles County areas. By providing developers access to this tool and data, the project will improve application submission accuracy, reduce utility information inquiries to city staff, and allow for more informed development design and planning.
Housing Impact
The project helped the city of Palmdale make significant progress in enhancing its geospatial capabilities, and the new tool has facilitated geographic information systems (GIS) mapping of more than 150 miles of the stormwater pipe system. The city has successfully transitioned key GIS services and bolstered online security. The tool provides parcel information, including the Assessor’s Parcel Number, seamlessly linked to the Assessor’s Portal, and offers precise cost estimate calculations for sewer and stormwater pipe connections, addressing crucial cost drivers identified by Palmdale officials. With 10 map layers featuring high-resolution aerial imagery and easy integration of future visual reference layers, the tool optimizes efficiency without additional coding.
Regional Value
Geospatial tools provide valuable insights for housing-related decision-making. This tool can be recognized as a best practice for accessing geospatial data and performing preliminary estimates.
- Ventura County Vehicle Miles Traveled Adaptive Mitigation Program for CEQA Streamlining (Subregional Partnership Program)
Project Amount: $273,690
The Ventura County California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) Adaptive Mitigation Program is a multifaceted effort to provide mechanisms for clear and consistent application of VMT reduction strategies to streamline the CEQA review process for 2021-2029 Housing Element programs that lead to housing development in Ventura County. The program is intended to develop capacity and standards that provide several options for avoiding or mitigating potential CEQA significant impacts due to project VMT.
Housing Impact
This project produced a Ventura County Transportation Commission (VCTC)-adopted regional optional adaptive management mitigation program for use by any CEQA lead agency to reduce a VMT “significant” impact to “less than significant” by choosing VMT-measurable mitigations from the VCTC list. To date, 11 jurisdictions have adopted the optional VMT-reduction adaptive management mitigation program.
Regional Value
Regional mitigation programs to reduce VMT can effectively address congestion impacts across the SCAG region. This approach benefits residents in several ways. It streamlines transit and active transportation modes, provides greater transportation choices, and saves residents money. Additionally, the shift to VMT analysis encourages more infill and transit-oriented development, which often results in lower living costs when considering both transportation and housing expenses.
- From Parking to Housing in Pomona
Project Amount: $269,054
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.
- San Fernando Valley Vehicle Miles Traveled Tool for Housing (Subregional Partnership Program)
Project Amount: $215,000
The San Fernando Valley Council of Governments (SFVCOG), in collaboration with four of its member jurisdictions (the cities of Glendale, Burbank, Santa Clarita, and San Fernando), developed a vehicle miles traveled (VMT) Housing Site Suitability Tool to help SFVCOG jurisdictions better collaborate to identify areas that can sustainably support additional housing. The tool visualizes baseline residential tour VMT per capita and identifies low VMT areas within the subregion optimal for developing new housing. Development in these areas can support overall reductions in greenhouse gas emissions from automobiles because they are located near major employment centers and other primary destinations and include better access to transit and a mix of land uses to support sustainable travel behavior.
Housing Impact
A VMT reduction strategy module was included in the VMT housing tool, leveraging state-of-practice research developed by the California Air Pollution Control Officers Association. End users can apply a range of VMT reduction strategies to their proposed residential project and estimate the reduction benefit, leveraging tailored data within the tool to modify inputs and assumptions to be more applicable to the SFVCOG region.
Regional Value
A key advantage of adopting a regional approach in developing the SFVCOG VMT Housing Site Suitability Tool is that it creates consistency in technical methodologies for identifying housing opportunity areas, which can significantly reduce implementation costs for local jurisdictions within the SFVCOG subregion. By establishing a standardized methodology across all jurisdictions, the SFVCOG VMT Housing Site Suitability Tool enhances collaboration and streamlines processes, making it easier to address housing challenges collectively and effectively.
- Surplus Land Inventory – San Gabriel Valley (Subregional Partnership Program)
Project Amount: $198,009
The project involved assessing all publicly owned parcels in the San Gabriel Valley and, in coordination with the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments (SGVCOG) and member cities, developing parameters to evaluate parcels for development feasibility. This included evaluating site parameters and how the projects would score in various state funding programs for affordable housing. The focus on affordable housing was designed to identify potential projects for the San Gabriel Valley Regional Housing Trust (SGVRHT). As part of this work, outreach meetings and interviews were held with nonprofits, faith-based organizations, and cities, as well as to support implementation of the California Surplus Land Act, a law that requires local agencies to prioritize the use of surplus land for affordable housing, parks, and open space.
Housing Impact
This project identified and evaluated the development potential of more than 600 publicly owned parcels and nearly 500 nonprofit owned parcels, prioritizing sites near public amenities. Each parcel was scored to evaluate its development potential and competitiveness for various affordable housing funding sources. This project provided the SGVCOG, SGVRHT, and the member cities with resources to better understand the development opportunities on publicly owned and nonprofit-owned sites. The project also fulfilled priorities in housing elements of several cities within the SGVCOG region.
Regional Value
This project provides cities with a mechanism to evaluate and better understand the development opportunities of publicly owned land. City staff received a list of publicly owned parcels and an evaluation as to whether these publicly owned sites were good candidates for the development of housing, especially at affordable levels. The city staff can use this information to pursue projects on these sites.
- Other To Residential Toolkit
Project Amount: $137,740
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.
Housing Impact
In 2023, the American Planning Association Los Angeles and American Planning Association California chapters awarded the Other-to-Residential Toolkit an Award of Excellence in the Best Practices category, recognizing how innovative planning practices can create lasting communities of value.
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.