March 23 is next ABAG Housing Element webinar

The ABAG Regional Housing Technical Assistance Program continues a multi-part training on March 23, 2021 at 9 a.m. with  "Using Data Effectively in Housing Element Updates – ABAG’s Housing Needs Data Packets and Accessing the U.S. Census." 

The training series are specifically designed for local city/county, their contracted consultants and other Bay Area regional governmental staff working on Housing Elements. Consultants contracted with cities and counties for Housing Element updates are welcome and can fully participate. You can register here. 

Other jurisdictions and governmental agencies will be registered on a space available basis, but may not be included in break out groups. If you are not affiliated with a jurisdiction, each session will be recorded and will be available as part of a Resource Library on the Regional Housing Technical Assistance Program website. 

The training series identifies key Housing Element topics that local staff must start early in the process. Each training will be a live and interactive webinar, with geographically based break out groups and opportunities for questions and answers. 

Sessions will be held the second and fourth Tuesday of each month from 9 to 11 a.m., through August.  All workshops in the series are eligible for American Planning Association Continuing Education Credits.

Future sessions include:

• Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing: The Nuts and Bolts with the California Department of Housing and Community Development
• How to Talk About Housing: Data-Driven Lessons on Housing Communications that Work and Those that Backfire
• Incorporating Environmental Justice and Safety into your Housing Element
• Engage How To! Introduction to Online Meeting Tools
• How to do Integrated Planning: EJ and Safety Elements  *Co-hosted with California Office of Planning and Research
• How to Work with Advocates
• Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing: Getting Conversational
• HCD emerging topics - pro housing opportunities, and new legislation
• Tips for Certifiable Success – Advice from the Pros * Co-hosted with HCD

ABAG is also partnering with the California Department of Housing and Community Development on additional sessions including:

• Open office hours
• Two trainings over the summer for Planning Commissioners & Elected officials
• A special session on Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs)