California Plans a Housing Infrastructure Spending Spree
Funds would accelerate infill development across Sacramento region to help achieve region’s climate goals
In his May budget revision, Governor Newsom proposed investing $500 million to boost regional land use plan implementation; and the legislature doubled down by upping that investment to $600 million in the adopted, but not yet signed, state budget. Every region in California must develop a regional land use plan called a Sustainable Communities Strategy that acts to underpin the respective region’s Metropolitan Transportation Plan and is a critical piece to reining in greenhouse gas production from the transportation sector. This massive boost in funding would allow regions to be more proactive in boosting development and projects that help increase mobility and/or decrease greenhouse gas production. An Administration fact sheet explains that the “new funds will provide grants to regional entities for transformative and innovative projects that implement a region’s sustainable communities strategy and help achieve goals of more housing and transportation options.”
In the Sacramento region, the funding would be used to boost development in existing, or infill, areas. Cities and counties have already identified priority infill development areas that need improved sewer, water, and other infrastructure to realize new development. Those prioritized areas have been designated Green Zones as part of the regional Green Means Go pilot program. The pilot program was established this month by SACOG’s board to accelerate development and boost travel options in areas that already have some existing development. The board further directed that racial equity and inclusion, as well as economic equity, be considered in the program’s funding guidelines. READ MORE
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