Social equity is about ensuring that people of all income levels have access to housing, good schools, reliable transportation, and employment that provides them with a living wage.

Social equity at the regional level means that all residents-particularly those in low-income brackets-should benefit from new investments in their communities, gain equal access to economic opportunities, and have a chance to actively participate in community planning efforts. Regional investments should favor communities that have been underfunded in the past.

The FOCUS effort is committed to ensuring that FOCUS investments are distributed through the region in a balanced and fair way. Low-income residents in the region currently struggle between the high cost of housing and the high costs of transportation. Bay Area residents should not have to leave the region to find an affordable home near a good school. The intent of FOCUS is to reduce these costs by creating more opportunities for residents to live in walkable areas near high-quality transit service. Through an Environmental Justice Grant from Caltrans, the California State Department of Transportation, FOCUS will also begin to assess which Priority Development Areas are at risk for displacement and what policies can redress inequalities in those areas.

Through this program, FOCUS is funding three cities to partner with community organizations on strengthening community in redeveloping neighborhoods. These projects include working with congregations in Richmond to create new affordable housing, assisting small businesses and preserving cultural character in San Francisco's Mission District, and engaging the Lake Merritt Community in Oakland on strategies to prevent displacement as part of their Station Area Plan.

ABAG has partnered with the national organization PolicyLink to release an Equitable Development Toolkit that reflects the unique conditions of transit-oriented neighborhoods in the Bay Area. Since combined housing and transportation costs can make up the majority of a household's expenses, creating and maintaining affordable housing near public transit helps make the Bay Area an affordable place to live. The toolkit presents a broad selection of policies that both advocates and local governments can refer to when planning in low-income neighborhoods.

For more information about the intersection between housing and access to education, visit the Center for Housing Policy. In the Bay Area, the Berkeley Center for Cities and Schools is an active voice on this issue.

What does regional development look like from a social equity perspective? In 2001, The Oakland-based Earth House Center created this video to capture existing inequities throughout the Bay Area. In it, planners, citizens, and community advocates suggest how community-based planning can create a healthier and more inclusive version of "smart growth."

For other questions or comments, contact Marisa Cravens, ABAG Regional Planner.