The Bay Area Plans for its Housing Future

On September 6^th the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission unveiled the “Draft Preferred Scenario” of Plan Bay Area, which represents the regional agencies’ take on what growth should look like for the Bay Area over the next 24 years. The Plan creates a framework to help the Bay Area’s cities and counties plan for future housing and jobs and make transportation investments in such a way as to substantially reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Once approved, the Plan will create a regional framework to help guide local land use decisions in the Bay Area’s 101 cities and 9 counties through 2040 and will direct over $309 billion in federal, state, and regional transportation dollars to support that vision. NPH is closely tracking Plan Bay Area to ensure that affordable housing is a central component of any regional vision for growth and that the region’s future infrastructure investments support the construction of more affordable homes in the right places.

The agencies are taking input until October 14^th with the hopes of adopting a “Final Preferred Scenario” in November. Once adopted in November, the vision for growth in the final preferred scenario, is expected to influence all land use and transportation planning in the Bay Area including local housing plans, or housing elements, and the kinds of transportation investments that are made.

If you are interested in learning more about Plan Bay Area, we welcome your attendance at upcoming meetings. The next meeting of ABAG and MTC on this topic is Friday September 9^th at 9:00 a.m. at the Bay Area Metro Center at 375 Beale Street in San Francisco. For more information please contact Pedro Galvao, NPH’s Regional Planning and Policy Manager, at pedro@nonprofithousing.org or at 415-989-8160 ext. 19.