Ascent is assisting SANDAG with the Housing Acceleration Program (HAP) Technical Assistance Program, providing staffing support and assistance to local jurisdictions on housing policy and legislation, housing element implementation, and CEQA streamlining to assist SANDAG’s 19 member agencies. The program supports implementation of SANDAG’s 6th Cycle Regional Housing Needs Assessment Plan, 2021 Regional Plan, and Sustainable Communities Strategy.
In response to the region’s housing crisis, SCAG developed a comprehensive package of guidance materials to help local governments accelerate the CEQA and administrative processes to expedite needed additional residential supply. The materials include user-friendly resources and toolkits to help local planning agency staff with day-to-day housing application processing and simplifying internal entitlement processes, such as expanding the use of ministerial approvals, to avoid delays and added expenses that can exacerbate the housing crisis.
