Napa County Supervisor Belia Ramos Assumes ABAG Helm
ABAG inaugurated Napa County Supervisor Belia Ramos as its new president and Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arreguín as Vice President of the regional planning agency and council of governments in January. Both will serve two-year terms. Ramos, who has served for the past four years as ABAG’s Vice President will replace Arreguín as the leader of the Executive Board while Arreguín will serve for a second time as Vice President, a position to which he was first elected in 2018 before rising to the top post two years later. MORE
BAHFA Advisory Committee Recommends Placing Housing Bond on 2024 Ballot
The Bay Area Housing Finance Authority (BAHFA)'s Advisory Committee in January adopted a resolution recommending that the Executive Board of ABAG and the BAHFA Board submit for consideration by voters in all nine Bay Area counties this November a general obligation bond up to $20 billion to produce more affordable housing, preserve existing affordable housing and protect current residents from displacement. Voter approval of a $20 billion bond is projected to spur the creation and preservation of up to 80,000 additional affordable homes around the Bay Area from bond proceeds and more over the long-term. MORE
2023 Milestones Highlight BAHFA’s Work to Ease Housing Crisis
ABAG's Bay Area Housing Finance Authority affiliate last year reached several important milestones as it accelerated its efforts to deliver lasting solutions to the Bay Area’s longstanding housing affordability problems. MORE
ABAG Looks Back at 2023 Housing, Environment, Energy Efforts
The year 2023 saw ABAG and its related agencies work in the challenging realms of housing, the environment and energy conservation with the goal of making the region more affordable, sustainable and healthy. MORE
ABAG and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission in January finalized their joint state and federal priorities for the 2024 legislative session. ABAG and MTC staff advocate for the Bay Area’s priorities in Sacramento and Washington, D.C., and the 2024 MTC/ABAG Joint Advocacy Program will guide their work for the year. MORE
ABAG and MTC Approve Plan Bay Area 2050+ Draft Blueprint Strategies and Growth Geographies
The Joint MTC Planning Committee with the ABAG Administrative Committee in January approved the revised Plan Bay Area 2050+ Draft Blueprint strategies and Growth Geographies. This action enables staff to further study the strategies’ performance in meeting critical regional goals for an affordable, connected, diverse, healthy and vibrant Bay Area for all. Staff are aiming for adoption of the Plan Bay Area 2050+ Final Blueprint in summer 2024. MORE
Regional Housing Technical Assistance Program
Local government housing staff from across the Bay Area attended the 2023 Housing Legislation Webinar hosted by ABAG and the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) to learn about the changes to housing laws in California. Several new laws will impact local jurisdictions' housing work. Staff from Goldfarb & Lipman LLP discussed some of the most significant new laws and what they will means for California’s cities and counties. MORE
Registration for State of the Estuary Conference Opens
The San Francisco Estuary Partnership (SFEP), a collaboration of local, state, and federal agencies hosted by ABAG, is once again hosting the State of the San Francisco Estuary Conference, which showcases the region’s work to sustain and improve the estuary’s habitats, living resources, water quality, climate resilience, and environmental stewardship. This year’s conference — the first in-person conference since 2019 — will be held March 12-13 at the newly renovated Henry J. Kaiser Center for the Arts in Oakland. A first-come, first-served pre-conference workshop will take place on March 11. MORE
South Bay Levee Plan Creates 300 Acres of Wetlands
The San Francisco Bay Restoration Authority — co-staffed by the SFEP, the State Coastal Conservancy, and other partners – opened a 300-acre former industrial salt pond to San Francisco Bay in December as part of ambitious plan to restore wetlands The levee breach is part of a 50-year effort to restore 15,000 acres of historic wetlands to tidal marsh and other habitats. MORE
BayREN Upgrading a Home for Energy Efficiency: A Journey in San Leandro
Watch as this San Leandro resident benefitted from BayREN rebates to upgrade her drafty house to an energy efficient and comfortable home. Among the upgrades: home weatherization, electric heat pump for heating and cooling, electric heat pump water heater, induction cooking range. See more about BayREN rebates to share with your constituents here. MORE
A BayREN Labor of Love: 1940s Home Gets Energy Efficient Upgrade
As real estate agents often say, every house has a story to tell. In a quiet community-driven neighborhood in Oakland, there's a 1940s home that has been given a new lease on life. When Emily Alvarez, BayREN’s Green Labeling Program lead, and her husband chose to buy their fixer upper in 2016, they knew that it would be an opportunity to create a home that is comfortable and cozy. Seven years later, she is now showcasing it as a green home to a group of real estate agents as part of their training. MORE
New Policy Guides Help Local Governments Cut Vehicle Miles
In 2023, MTC completed development of a set of guides to help Bay Area cities, towns and counties advance plans and policies that will support the reduction of vehicle miles traveled (VMT). Reducing VMT cuts greenhouse emissions and reduces air pollution, while also encouraging thoughtful development with better connections to jobs, schools and commercial centers. These policies help cities and counties minimize the amount of vehicle travel in their Priority Development Areas (PDAs) and other growth areas. The guidance for the four policies can be accessed on each policy page or through the Connected Community PDA technical assistance page. MORE
Meetings
View Executive Board and Committee meeting information here.
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Future Regional Transportation Revenue Measure & Housing Funding Top 2024 Advocacy Priorities
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As real estate agents often say, every house has a story to tell. In a quiet community-driven neighborhood in Oakland, there's a 1940s home that has been given a new lease on life. When Emily Alvarez, 
