Demographics and Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA)
Overview
SBCAG is proud to be a part of the statewide Census Affiliate Data Center network, helping in to disseminate and analyze valuable Census data.
The agency provides essential publications and data that can be used by decision-makers at all levels, such as supporting the county and municipalities in their long-range planning activities.
On top of all of this, SBCAG periodically produce reports on demographics-related stats for the region and maintains a geographic information systems webpage which contains a variety of data, including select Census data.
Regional Growth Forecast (RGF)
SBCAG is responsible for creating and updating a long-term forecast for growth in the Santa Barbara County region called the Regional Growth Forecast (RGF).
The forecast is a set of predictions for things like:
- population
- housing
- employment
- land use
The forecast is formally adopted by the SBCAG Board of Directors and used by the county and local municipalities to plan for things like transportation, air quality, housing and economic development. The forecast is based on the land use capacity of local general plans and incorporates public participation and input from the county and all local cities, the public, and the SBCAG governing board.
Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA)
Since 1969, the State of California has required that all local governments (cities and counties) adequately plan to meet the housing needs of everyone in the community. SBCAG plays a significant role in how this is done through the RHNA process for the Santa Barbara County region. The California’s Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) issues a Regional Housing Need Determination to the SBCAG region every eight years. Working with local agencies and stakeholders, and consistent with State housing law, SBCAG allocates housing units to each local government.
In July 2021, SBCAG approved its sixth cycle RHNA Plan. This milestone sets the stage for Santa Barbara County housing needs to be met through 2029 when a new plan is due.
