Regional agencies are committed to securing financial incentives and providing technical assistance to designated Priority Development Areas (PDAs) and Priority Conservation Areas (PCAs).

Regional agencies are also examining funding sources from existing programs. Potential sources include future funding from MTC's Transportation for Livable Communities and Housing Incentive Program, as well as discretionary transportation funds from MTC's Regional Transportation Plan 2009 Update.

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Up to $100,000 in Grant Funding for Community Participation in Equitable Development (deadline for applications was Friday, June 13, 2008, no new applications being accepted)
When major transit investments spur new development, low-income residents can face evictions, loss of community or cultural centers, or pressure to sell their homes. In February 2008, through an Environmental Justice Grant from Caltrans, ABAG began a Development without Displacement program to increase regional and local understanding of gentrification and displacement, and in particular increase awareness of equitable development policies that jurisdictions can use to capture the benefits of new growth for their current residents.

ABAG anticipates awarding one to three grants for the total of $100,000 available in grant funding. Grants will fund a city or county and community-based organization to work jointly to engage local residents in identifying the pressures they face due to gentrification and what programs and policies could help to stabilize the neighborhood. The jurisdiction and its partner can decide how to share the funds and project administration.

The grant deadline for applications (Friday, June 13, 2008) is now passed.

Several resources to support funded efforts will be available. 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. The toolkit presents a broad selection of policies that advocates and local governments can refer to when planning in low-income neighborhoods. In addition, ABAG and staff from the Center for Community Innovation at UC Berkeley (CCI) are creating mapping and data resources available on Bay Area populations that are vulnerable to displacement. Finally, ABAG, PolicyLink, and CCI staff are directly available to assist with this process and its implementation.

For more information, please contact Marisa Cravens, ABAG Regional Planner, at 510.464.7926 or MarisaC@abag.ca.gov

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Potential Resources for Priority Conservation Areas

For PCAs, regional designation through FOCUS promotes conservation by:

• Coordinating conservation efforts within a regional framework of near-term priorities
• Providing a strong platform on which to leverage public and private resources for the Bay Area
• Building upon prior and existing land protection efforts and investments
• Providing opportunities for forging new partnerships

One example of how these near-term conservation opportunities will help inform the spending of conservation dollars in the San Francisco Bay Area is the distribution of Proposition 84 funds. The State Coastal Conservancy's San Francisco Bay Area Program will be spending $108 million from Proposition 84 over the next 4-5 years. FOCUS PCAs will inform the Conservancy, other public agencies, and private organizations of near-term (1-5 year) land conservation opportunities (acquisition or conservation easement) in the region.