SB 2 Planning Grants

Eligible Activities

Eligible activities may include:

• Updates to general plans, community plans, specific plans, local planning related to implementation of sustainable communities strategies, or local coastal plans.
• Updates to zoning ordinances.
• Environmental analyses that eliminate the need for project-specific review.
• Local process improvements that expedite local planning and permitting.

Eligible Applicants

Limited to local governments (cities and counties). Local governments may partner through legally binding agreements with other forms of governments or entities where the proposal will have a direct effect on land use or development within the locality.

Please refer to the guidelines below for more information.

Application Review and Threshold Requirements

The program will provide grants through a noncompetitive, over-the-counter process to eligible local governments (cities and counties) who meet the following requirements:

Eligible applicants must:

1. Have an HCD-compliant housing element,
2. Have submitted a recent Annual Progress report,
3. *Demonstrate a nexus to accelerating housing production, and
4. Demonstrate that the applicant is consistent with State Planning Priorities (Government Code Section 65041.1)  or other planning priorities.

*Applicants proposing activities in at least one of the Priority Policy Areas below are automatically deemed to demonstrate a nexus to accelerating housing production without any further demonstration:

• Rezone to Permit By-right: Rezoning for significant additional housing capacity without or lesser discretionary review or establishing zoning to permit residential development by-right, particularly multifamily, without discretionary action pursuant to Government Code Section 65583.2(h) and (i).
• Objective Design and Development Standards: Developing objective design standards or pre-approved site and architectural plans that facilitate
  non-discretionary permitting.
• Specific Plans or Form based Codes Coupled with CEQA Streamlining: Designating and rezoning for additional housing capacity or preparing specific plans or form codes that include zoning and development standards and plan-level environmental analysis that can be used to streamline future housing projects and facilitate affordability.
• Accessory Dwelling Units or Other Innovative Building Strategies: Encouraging ADUs and other innovative building types through actions above state law such as, outreach, fee waivers, pre-approved plans, website zoning clearance assistance, and other homeowner tools or finance tools. Also, establishing other approaches to intensify existing lower density residential areas and “missing model” typologies to encourage significantly more residential development (e.g., duplexes, triplexes) in lower density residential areas.
• Expedited Processing: Speeding up approvals and permit processing, including instituting programs that streamline or consolidate the review process or create a separate process for expedited review of housing projects.
• Housing Related Infrastructure Financing and Fee Reduction Strategies: Develop and implement approaches to local, regional or sub-regional housing related infrastructure financing. Create plans and programs to finance and increase infrastructure with accompanying enhanced housing capacity, such as enhanced infrastructure financing districts. Fee reduction and rationalization approaches, such as reassessing fees to adhere to best practices in reducing costs, deferrals, sliding scales or proportionate impacts fees (e.g., ADUs, transit oriented, and infill development, special needs housing), or fee transparency measures including publicly available fee calculators.

Resources

• Frequently Asked Questions (PDF)
• Sample Applications (PDF)
• Sample Resolution and Checklist (PDF)
• Maximum Grant Amounts Per Jurisdiction (PDF)
•  SB 2 Planning Grants NOFA Workshop Webinar ‌
• Government Agency Taxpayer ID Form ‌

Grant Reimbursements

To request reimbursement of funds, please download and follow instructions on the following forms:

• SB2 Request for Reimbursement of Funds (PDF)
• SB2 Cash Request Summary (XLS)

Technical Assistance

HCD, in coordination with the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR), is working with a team led by PlaceWorks, Inc. to provide technical assistance (TA) to applicants throughout the application period. The TA team will work closely with regions, sub-regions and counties, to help jurisdictions identify activities and provide best-practice tools to help reach the goal of accelerating housing production. Jurisdictions can reach out for assistance to HCD, OPR, or one of PlaceWork’s regional liaisons listed below.

For more information on technical assistance, please visit the Technical Assistance Accelerating Housing Production webpage.

Department of Conservation Funding Opportunities:

• Working Lands Riparian Corridors Program ‌: Funding to support the development of natural and working lands components of various plans and strategies.
• Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation Program ‌: Funding to protect at-risk agricultural land.

Department of Conservation Planning Resources:

• DOCMaps ‌: GIS resources and tools for planners and land use decision-makers.
• TerraCount ‌: Scenario planning tool which models greenhouse gas and natural resource implications of different development patterns and management activities.