Housing

Overview

Housing
Mind the Gap Housing Initiative

The SACOG region, like the rest of California, is in a housing crisis because it has not been able to build enough housing to keep up with demand. In particular, our region has struggled to build enough multifamily housing products in existing communities. Building more is critical to housing our region’s service workers, teachers, and other working class households as well as to promote racial equity and reduce residential segregation. 

SACOG and local jurisdictions throughout the region are working together to find ways to overcome these challenges. Local and regional efforts can put in place a regulatory framework that reduces the barriers to building more infill multifamily housing. The link below provides a two-page summary of SACOG’s Mind the Gap Housing Initiative, including a framing for understanding our housing gaps, six policy changes at the local level that have the potential to fill those gaps, and how SACOG can assist our member agencies to pursue these policy changes.

Mind the Gap Housing Initiative Pamphlet

SACOG promotes and provides assistance to local governments to implement the Metropolitan Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy.  Housing plays a key role in the MTP/SCS, and SACOG is looking for ways to support its member agencies with technical support to housing production to meet the region’s needs. To this end, see the subheading links below for more information on CEQA streamlining opportunities, housing research and resources, and data for updating housing elements.

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Housing Series Workshop 4

Housing Series Workshop 4
Local Jurisdiction Showcase

This workshop emphasized streamlined review processes,  updated fee structures and timelines, and more strategies local jurisdictions have taken within the region to accelerate housing production. The series closed with how to take the information from these workshops and translate them into action.

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Housing Series Workshop 2

Housing Series Workshop 2
Getting to Missing Middle

Getting to Missing Middle: Strategies within local government control to advance infill housing.

This workshop will showcase existing missing middle housing types in our region and discuss why they aren’t feasible now. This workshop emphasized the barriers to infill housing with practical solutions local governments can take, including examples from small communities across the country. 

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Housing Series Workshop 1

Housing Series Workshop 1
Setting the Stage

How we got here and where do we go next: History of Exclusionary Zoning + Meaningful Engagement in New Virtual Era

To set the stage for the remaining workshops, this agenda will cover the historical policy decisions like zoning that local governments have made over time and how those decisions have implications for our work today, including practices that perpetuate racial and class disparities. How do we facilitate change that is meaningful to our communities and involve them in the process (in a likely virtual setting)?

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What is the Civic Lab Housing Series?

Over $6M was awarded to SACOG as part of the Regional Early Action Planning (REAP) program. Funds were awarded to SACOG from the state to address our region’s unique housing priorities and planning needs. SACOG received 25% of this funding early to support housing element work at the local level and to implement Civic Lab: Commercial Corridors projects.