BACKGROUND

The Regional Early Action Planning (REAP) program is a State of California funded grant program to help regions and jurisdictions with planning activities to meet the sixth cycle of the regional housing needs assessment, and to spur affordable housing production.

A total of $18,975,323 in Regional Early Action Planning (REAP) grant funds is available to the eight San Joaquin Valley Regional Planning Agencies for housing planning activities through 2023.

Each regional planning agency is responsible, through their respective boards, to determine funding amounts and policies for RHNA planning, jurisdictional grants, and other related activities.

A 24-member San Joaquin Valley REAP Committee for Housing has been established and three official meetings have been held to date to help steer this planning effort.

Funds can be used for technical assistance, establishing housing trust funds, RHNA/Housing Element planning, infrastructure planning, feasibility studies, staffing and consulting needs, and other uses. REAP funds cannot be used for housing construction activities.

REAP is similar to the LEAP (Local Early Action Planning) and SB2 planning grant programs. LEAP and SB2 were direct grant programs to jurisdictions from the State of California (HCD). The funding application period for LEAP and SB2 is now closed.

MAJOR WORK AREAS FOR THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY REAP PROCESS

RHNA (Regional Housing Needs Assessments)

Developing an improved methodology for the distribution of the sixth cycle   regional housing need assessment and housing element implementation.

 

Suballocations to Jurisdictions

Providing grants to accelerate housing production in a way that aligns with state planning priorities, housing, transportation, equity, and climate goals.

 

Valleywide Work Efforts

 Conducting a comprehensive housing report, regional planning and coordination, program implementation, technical assistance, and other activities.  Administration of the REAP application, agreements, consultants, outreach and communication,  and other administrative and program management duties.

FUNDING DISTRIBUTION

  • Fresno COG, on behalf of the San Joaquin Valley REAP process, is the designated fiscal agent, and has applied for and received $10.2 million of first and second rounds of funding (initial funding).

 

  • The final round funding application ($8.7 million) has been submitted to the State Housing and Community Development (HCD) Department for a total of $18.9 million to be distributed as follows:

Fresno Council of Governments

$3,172,397

Kern Council of Governments

$2,849,769

Kings County Association of Governments

$480,807

Madera County Transportation Commission

$492,009

Merced County Association of Governments

$883,343

San Joaquin Council of Governments

$2,405,036

Stanislaus Council of Governments

$1,728,155

Tulare County Council of Governments

$1,488,802

Subtotal

$13,500,322

Funding for Valleywide work efforts 

(including Fresno COG administrative cost)

$5,475,000.00

TOTAL

$18,975,322

SUBREGIONAL PRIORITIES AND USE OF FUNDS

Each regional planning agency is responsible, through their respective boards, to determine funding amounts and policies for RHNA planning, jurisdictional sub-allocations, and other related activities.

As an example, San Joaquin COG (SJ COG) has prioritized its use of REAP funding for the following activities:

 

  • Development of a Regional Housing Trust Fund
  • Streamlining the Development Process*
  • Planning and Coordination to Develop a Regional Project Pipeline
  • Supporting Local Jurisdictions Impacted by COVID-19*

*The highlighted activities are to be conducted on the jurisdictional level, the other two will be implemented led for the region by SJ COG.

Fresno COG has opted for a competitive process to allocate REAP funding to its jurisdictions. The competitive process prioritizes the eligible planning activities for jurisdictions in the REAP statute. At least 50 percent of the funds will be set aside for small cities.

USE OF REAP FUNDS

  • Eligible Uses

 

  • RHNA and Housing Element planning activities.

 

  • Providing jurisdictions and other local agencies with technical assistance, planning, temporary staffing or consultant needs associated with updating local planning and zoning documents, expediting application processing, and other actions to accelerate additional housing production.

 

  • Covering the costs of administering any programs.

 

  • Suballocating moneys directly and equitably to jurisdictions in the form of grants, to accelerate housing production in a way that aligns with state planning priorities, housing, transportation, equity, and climate goals.

 

  • Jurisdictional sub-allocations shall only be used for housing-related planning activities:

 

  • Technical assistance in improving housing permitting processes, tracking systems, and planning tools.

 

  • Facilitating technical assistance between jurisdictions.

 

  • Establishing regional or countywide housing trust funds for affordable housing.

 

  • Performing infrastructure planning, including sewers, water systems, transit, roads, or other public facilities necessary to support new housing and new residents.

 

  • Performing feasibility studies to determine the most efficient locations to site housing.

 

  • Performing feasibility studies for affordable housing projects on surplus properties owned by school districts of county offices of education.

 

  • Covering the costs of temporary staffing or consultant needs associated with the activities described above.

Ineligible Uses

 

  • Activities unrelated to accelerating housing production.

 

  • Activities unrelated to preparation and adoption of planning documents, and process improvements to accelerate housing production.

 

  • Activities that obstruct or hinder housing production.

 

  • Capital financing, operation, or funding related to programs of individual housing development projects.

 

  • Administrative costs of persons employed by the grantee for activities not directly related to the preparation and adoption of the proposed Activity or Activities