Our Work

Housing

Housing and land use are essential components of effective regional planning. SCAG’s Connect SoCal 2024 Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy outlines a unified vision for a future where housing goals can be achieved alongside positive outcomes in transportation, sustainability, and economic prosperity. SCAG’s planning and policy development provides a forum for policy dialogue, information sharing, technical analysis, and consensus building on critical community, mobility, housing, and natural resource issues confronting the region.

SCAG’s state-mandated role is to develop the Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) as part of the regular process of updating housing elements of local general plans. During the most recent 6th Cycle RHNA process, SCAG assigned a regional determination of 1.34 million housing units by 2029 to manage through the RHNA process.

SCAG’s role in advancing housing solutions has increased significantly in recent years to include the provision of funding, data, and technical assistance to support cities and counties in meeting housing production goals and finding new and innovative ways to realize the region’s housing goals.

SCAG’s work also advances the following housing principles:   

  • Supporting housing equity. 
  • Increasing housing supply and affordability.  
  • Aligning housing with transportation and sustainability. 
  • Advancing policy through engagement. 
  • Increasing housing diversity and choice. 
  • Advancing financial tools.

Housing Legislation

SCAG advocates at the state level to influence housing legislation with potential to impact the region. SCAG’s advocacy includes working with state legislators, participating in coalitions, and providing input on proposed laws and regulations. SCAG develops policy recommendations and best practices to address regional housing challenges, such as affordability, homelessness, and the need for diverse housing types.

Recent wins include the 2023 approval of Assembly Bill (AB) 785, which added new California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) exemptions for affordable housing projects and transitional housing projects for youth and young adults in the city of Los Angeles and unincorporated Los Angeles County. AB 785 also extended CEQA expiring exemptions for low-barrier navigation centers and supportive housing projects. The CEQA exemptions for these specified projects would have expired in 2030 unless extended or reauthorized. SCAG supported this bill in June 2023, and Governor Gavin Newsom signed it into law in October 2023.

Also in 2023, AB 1332 passed, requiring local governments to create a program for pre-approval of accessory dwelling units and approve or disapprove an application within 30 days of submission. SCAG took an active role in this legislation, working with Assemblymember Wendy Carrillo to amend the language and improve the bill and supporting the bill in June 2023. The governor then signed this bill into law in October 2023.

Learn more at the SCAG legislation and advocacy website.

6th Cycle Housing Element Update Resources

To comply with state housing law, jurisdictions within California must update their housing element every eight years during the Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) process. Housing elements are required to identify sites, rezone, and include other programs necessary for a jurisdiction to accommodate designated housing need. Housing elements guide the development community about where to deliver new housing and where to invest in housing-supportive infrastructure. In collaboration with the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), SCAG has developed a variety of resources to assist local jurisdictions during the RHNA process. These data are available as complete reports and in raw format. HCD has certified the local housing data and Accessory Dwelling Units Affordability Analyses for local use in the housing element.

For more information, please contact us at housing@scag.ca.gov.

Reports were updated in April 2021 to include each jurisdiction’s final 6th cycle RHNA allocation. Excel versions of each jurisdiction’s data are available in the complete raw data and metadata file.

View Local Housing Data

External Tools and Resources
HCD Housing Planning Hub

The California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) launches the Housing Planning Hub Site, a repository of statewide and regional toolkits, factsheets, and guidance on a variety of housing policy areas with a specific focus on priority policy areas. The hub includes interactive maps, model ordinances resources, toolkits, checklists, and online trainings. HCD will continually update the resource center as new tools become available.

 

Housing Working Group

The Housing Working Group (HWG) is an interactive forum for workshops, panel discussions, and presentations covering a broad range of topics and themes identified as of potential interest by SCAG and the HWG. This group is open to housing stakeholders, housing professionals, and any other parties interested in housing issues.

Learn more about HWG on the RPWG website.

SB 79 (Wiener) Transit-Oriented Development Stops, Zones, and Tiers Map

SCAG's SB 79 map is based on SCAG’s approach and methodology to the transit-oriented development map required by Senate Bill (SB) 79 (Wiener, 2025). The map is specific to Los Angeles County at this time.

The SCAG Regional Council approved the approach and methodology for the Senate Bill (SB) 79 mapping requirements at its July 2026 meeting.

SB 79 directs each metropolitan planning organization (MPO) in California to develop and maintain an official SB 79 “Stops, Zones, and Tiers Map” for its region. The map will provide a consistent, transparent regional dataset to help local jurisdictions, transit agencies, state partners, and other stakeholders understand where SB 79 applies.

This map identifies qualifying transit stops, transit-oriented development zones, and tier classifications based on service characteristics in qualifying urban transit counties. According to state guidance and the language of SB 79, Los Angeles County is currently the only urban transit county in the SCAG region. Orange County will become an urban transit county when the OC Streetcar opens for revenue service.

SCAG continues to collaborate with impacted jurisdictions, transit operators, and other interested parties to review relevant data and incorporate verified updates to the “SB79 TOD Stops, Zones, and Tiers Map.” SCAG posted a map with verified updates on July 1, 2026, but an additional map update will be posted in the future due to the complexity of the process needed to review and verify relevant data. 

View the Map

The Senate Bill (SB) 79 Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Stops, Zones, and Tiers Map identifies qualifying transit stops and corresponding TOD zones across the SCAG region, consistent with statutory requirements. TOD stops are categorized into Tier 1 and Tier 2 based on transit mode, service frequency, and infrastructure characteristics defined in SB 79. 

The map reflects both existing and eligible planned stations that meet certain criteria. SCAG recommends that users consult the relevant local jurisdiction for project-level determinations and parcel-level eligibility. Because transit service and project plans may change over time, local agency coordination is essential when applying SB 79 provisions.

 VIEW THE MAP

Subscribe to Updates

If you are interested in receiving a notification when the next update to the “SB 79 TOD Stops, Zones, and Tiers Map” is complete, please sign up at the following link.

 

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SCAG County

SCAG will also update the SB 79 map annually and when a county becomes an urban transit county.

SB 79 aims to accelerate transit-oriented housing production by making qualifying projects an allowed use on sites zoned for residential, mixed-use, or commercial development if the project meets applicable requirements. The California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) provided guidance, the “SB 79 Advisory Clarifications on Definitions for Metropolitan Planning Organizations,” in March 2026, which SCAG used to inform its approach and methodology for the region’s SB 79 map. SCAG also worked closely with HCD and state MPOs to support early SB 79 implementation planning and to inform HCD guidance on mapping directions, eligibility criteria, and statutory definitions. HCD will also be responsible for enforcing SB 79.

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