How Does ABAG Decide How to Distribute the Regional Assessment?

In 2019 ABAG established a Housing Methodology Committee (HMC) charged with developing a distribution formula by which to allocate the cycle 6 RHND number. The HMC consists of elected officials and staff from each county, as well as stakeholders from interest groups.

Any methodology developed by the HMC must satisfy the many statutory requirements for RHNA distribution, including:

  1. Increasing housing supply and mix of housing types, tenure, and affordability in all cities and counties in an equitable manner throughout the region;
  2. Promoting infill development and socioeconomic equity, protecting environmental and agricultural resources, encouraging efficient development patterns, and achieving greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions targets;
  3. Promoting an improved intraregional jobs-housing relationship, including a balance between low-wage jobs and affordable housing (jobs/housing fit)
  4. Balancing disproportionate household income distributions (more high-income RHNA to lower-income areas and vice-versa); and
  5. Affirmatively further fair housing.

Using the above requirements as a guide, the final RHNA methodology recommended by the HMC assigns a total number of housing units to each Bay Area jurisdiction and distributes that allocation among the four affordability levels.

Show All Answers

1. What is Let’s Talk Housing?
2. What is a Housing Element?
3. What is RHNA?
4. How Do We Know How Much Housing To Plan For?
5. How Does ABAG Decide How to Distribute the Regional Assessment?
6. What’s the timeline for completing RHNA?
7. Where Can I Get More Information on the RHNA Process?