The Committee to House the Bay Area — Compact Status Report
In a 21-to-9 vote, the ABAG Executive Board last night authorized ABAG President Rabbitt to sign the CASA Compact. The Compact is a set of policy recommendations to both state and local officials designed to help solve the Bay Area's longstanding housing-affordability problem by encouraging the production of more housing for people at all income levels, preserving affordable housing that already exists and protecting current residents from displacement in rapidly changing neighborhoods.
To achieve these "three Ps," the CASA Compact details 10 separate elements as well as five calls to action.
Specific policy recommendations include:
- Just-cause eviction policy;
- Emergency rent cap;
- Emergency rent assistance and access to legal counsel;
- Removal of regulatory barriers to additional dwelling units;
- Minimum zoning near transit;
- Reforms to housing-approval processes;
- Expedited approvals and financial incentives for select housing types;
- Unlock public land for affordable housing;
- Raise $1.5 billion from a range of sources to fund implementation of the CASA Compact; and
- Establish a regional housing enterprise to implement the CASA Compact.
CASA includes leaders from across the Bay Area who will build actionable political consensus around (1) increasing housing production at all levels of affordability, (2) preserving existing affordable housing, and (3) protecting vulnerable populations from housing instability and displacement for consideration by ABAG, MTC and myriad state and local policy makers.
CASA is led by three Co-Chairs: Fred Blackwell of The San Francisco Foundation; Leslye Corsiglia of Silicon Valley at Home; and Michael Covarrubias of TMG Partners. It is structured around a Steering Committee and Technical Committee composed of local elected officials, thought leaders, and policy experts from across the region. The CASA effort is supported and staffed by the consolidated ABAG and MTC staff and a team of consultants. More information about CASA is available on the website