In 2024, the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) continued to strengthen collaboration across the region and worked toward coordinated progress in the areas of housing, climate resilience and the economy. ABAG’s achievements this past year include:
Oakland Celebrates Groundbreaking for New Affordable Housing for Seniors
Bay Area Housing Finance Authority (BAHFA) joined the East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation (EBALDC) and community partners to break ground on EBALDC’s 97-unit Chinatown Senior Transit-Oriented Development apartments adjacent to the Lake Merritt BART station in Oakland. BAHFA funded a $3 million loan through the Priority Sites Pilot Program to help fund the development, which is scheduled to open for occupancy by summer 2026 and will include 44 apartments reserved for formerly homeless people.
EPA Awards Estuary Partnership $10.6 million for Bay Area Watershed Projects
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) this summer approved a pair of grants to the San Francisco Estuary Partnership to advance projects to protect and restore watersheds in Hayward, Richmond, San Pablo, and North Richmond. Local partners contributed matching funds to supplement the new grants, which were awarded through the EPA San Francisco Bay Water Quality Improvement Fund program.
BayREN Supports Local Businesses with Energy Efficiency Upgrades
BayREN Business aims to help small businesses across the Bay Area reduce their energy consumption and carbon footprint. The program provides incentives for energy efficiency LED lighting, refrigeration and more. Participating contractors make the process simple, easy and convenient. Contractors help businesses identify the best upgrades to save energy and cut costs.
Plan Bay Area 2050+ Summer Engagement
ABAG and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) released the Plan Bay Area 2050+ Draft Blueprint analysis, which outlines how the nine-county region can advance an affordable, connected, diverse, healthy and vibrant Bay Area for all residents by the year 2050. This focused update to the long-range plan for transportation, housing, the economy and the environment seeks to address challenges and refine strategies informed by public input.
This summer, nearly 13,800 Bay Area residents were active in the second round of public engagement, culminating in an outreach effort that was among the most extensive in the plan’s history. Feedback received during the engagement period will inform the development of the final Blueprint.
General Assembly Convenes at Oakland Museum of California
In June, a quorum of representatives from the Bay Area’s nine counties and 101 member cities convened to pass the 2024-2025 ABAG budget. Delegates attended the meeting in person at the Oakland Museum of California.
ABAG-MTC Resilience Tools Help You Plan Ahead
ABAG-MTC staff have created a suite of tools to help residents, transportation and housing planners, students, and other interested people determine the severity of risk from certain types of natural hazards in the Bay Area, including earthquake, tsunami, flooding, landslides and wildfires.
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