News

Nearly 400 attendees joined SCAG for the 14th Annual Southern California Economic Summit on Dec. 7, 2023, to discuss connections between regional planning and the long-term health of the Southern California economy. 

Applications for the 2023 SCAG Scholarship Program are now open. The program offers a $4,000 scholarship award for seven high school seniors or community college students from the SCAG region (and potentially two additional scholarship awards that are not tied to a specific county but may be awarded at the Regional Council’s discretion). Recipients may also have the opportunity to meet with elected officials and practicing planners to learn more about careers in public service.  

To apply to the SCAG Scholarship Program, students must submit:  

Southern California will ride the wave of strong economic growth entering 2024, buoyed by a healthy labor market, new development, tourism and increased foreign trade, the region’s leading economists said Thursday, Nov. 7. 

Economists from across the six-county region offered a mostly optimistic forecast for the coming year, in a report released at the 14th Annual Southern California Economic Summit, though they cautioned that continued inflation and high interest rates will likely slow the rate of growth during the second half of 2024. 

SCAG has announced 10 students as winners of the 2023 Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) scholarships.  

The SCAG scholarship program, now in its 13th year, is intended to provide financial support to a select group of high school and community college students who have expressed interest in urban planning and public policy as part of their long-term career goals. These outstanding students will receive $4000 each to help bring them closer to achieving their dreams of receiving a college education: 

The Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) continues to expand its availability of critical data for our region with the release of its quarterly Transit Ridership Update. The latest report, which was presented to SCAG’s Regional Council today, includes:

The Southern California Association of Governments is in receipt of the 2023 Federal Transportation Improvement Program (FTIP) Amendment #23-20 for Imperial, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, and Ventura Counties. The Public Review period starts on December 14, 2023 and will conclude at 5:00 p.m. on December 26, 2023.

A copy of the Project Listing is located on the SCAG FTIP website Proposed Amendment link at /2023-proposed-amendments.

Please note that some of the changes or project additions may be for projects funded with Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Section 5307 funds. This public involvement opportunity is provided to meet the public involvement requirements for the program of projects.

Draft Connect SoCal 2024–the draft 2024-2050 Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy (RTP/SCS) and draft 2023 Federal Transportation Improvement Program (FTIP) Amendment #23-26.

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SCAG Adopts Carbon Reduction Program Guidelines  

The SCAG Executive/Administration Committee approved guidelines for the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Carbon Reduction Program (CRP) on Dec. 6, 2023.

The Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada has awarded the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting to SCAG for its annual comprehensive financial report for the 2022 fiscal year.

The Certificate of Achievement is the highest form of recognition in governmental accounting and financial reporting, and its attainment represents a significant accomplishment by a government agency and its management.

On Nov. 2, SCAG’s Regional Council approved the allocation of $45 million to 14 innovative housing finance projects across Southern California. 

The Lasting Affordability Program, under which these funding awards are issued, represents SCAG’s fourth sub-allocation of funding under the state-funded Regional Early Action Planning of 2021 (REAP 2.0) grant. The California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) formally awarded SCAG $246 million in REAP 2.0 grants earlier this year to accelerate progress toward housing goals and climate commitments by strengthening the partnership between the state, its regions and local entities. Project awards support program-level investments in housing trust funds, community land trusts and catalyst funds.  

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Draft Connect SoCal 2024 and Draft Program Environmental Impact Report Now Available for Public Comment 

The SCAG Regional Council voted on Nov. 2, 2023, to release both the draft Connect SoCal 2024, the region

On Oct. 5, SCAG’s Regional Council approved the allocation of $12.3 million to 22 projects across the six-county region that support increased housing production, sustainable land-use strategies and multimodal communities.

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Economic Summit Registration Now Open

Registration is now open for SCAG’s 14th annual Southern California Economic Summit on Dec. 7 at the Sheraton Grand Los Angeles.

SCAG’s Economic Roundtable met for its quarterly discussion on the current state of the regional economy. The region’s employment situation, the logistics sector, and labor market conditions were the focus, and several overarching themes emerged from the conversation:

The number of Southern Californians leaving the state leveled off last year, but the region will continue to experience slow population growth due to accelerated aging and immigration declines, according to data released Wednesday at the 34th Annual Demographic Workshop. 

Sponsored by the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) and the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy, the workshop brought together the region’s leading demographers and population experts, as well as more than 400 attendees from the public and private sectors. 

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Demographic Workshop Program Preview

Registration is open for the 34th annual Demographic Workshop, “The Seismic Generational Shift,” hosted by SCAG and the USC Price Scho

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SCAG Awarded $237 Million for REAP 2.0  

The Department of Housing and Community Development has officially approved SCAG’s full funding application,

The Southern California Association of Governments is in receipt of the 2023 Federal Transportation Improvement Program (FTIP) Amendment #23-11 for Imperial, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, Various, and Ventura Counties. The Public Review period starts on June 15, 2023 and will conclude at 5:00 p.m. on June 26, 2023.

A copy of the Project Listing is located on the SCAG FTIP website Proposed Amendment link at /2023-proposed-amendments.

Please note that some of the changes or project additions may be for projects funded with Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Section 5307 funds. This public involvement opportunity is provided to meet the public involvement requirements for the program of projects.

A First Look at the Demographic and Housing Characteristics File in Southern California and Beyond

The United States Census Bureau recently released a critical update to its 2020 numbers, offering additional data on the demographic and housing characteristics of local communities across the country. 

This data puts known trends in historical perspective and shows how differently Southern California, and Los Angeles County in particular, has evolved from the rest of the nation in the last generation. 

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Update on the RHNA Reform Process and Schedule  

The California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) is crafting recommendations to reform the Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) process,