The Regional Early Action Planning grants program of 2021 (REAP 2.0) was created in 2022 to provide funding for innovative place-based solutions to improve Californian’s ability to access key destinations using sustainable transportation while helping the state reach its greenhouse gas emission reduction goals.

The first round of the program was funded with $570 million, the majority of which will go to regional governments via formula allocation. A smaller set aside of $30 million of the funds is to be awarded via competition to the most innovative Higher Impact Transformation (HIT) projects.

In July, California announced the award of the first $352 million of REAP funding, including awards to seven regional governments and five HIT projects. Details about the recent REAP 2.0 awards can be found in the state’s press release and in this Streetsblog California feature.

Our Northern California team congratulates all the recent REAP 2.0 awardees. We are especially excited about two of the HIT awards that will be significant for making progress on the Bay Area’s goals to advance transit-oriented development (TOD). 

BART was awarded $3.59 million in HIT funds, which will be used to create a revolving loan fund to finance pre-development activities for affordable housing projects on BART-owned land.

Abby Thorne-Lyman, director of Real Estate and Property Development at BART, shares, “BART is very excited for the state’s commitment to our transit-oriented development projects. Mandela Station and Lake Merritt Senior have been in planning for many years, and we hope the REAP 2.0 HIT funds will take them over the finish line and into construction.”

The first grantee of these predevelopment funds will be the Lake Merritt Senior project, an important, 97-unit TOD project led by East Bay Asian Local Development (EBALDC). 

Enterprise provided technical assistance to EBALDC on its recent successful Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities (AHSC) funding application for the site. The AHSC award, in addition to bringing $16.5 million for the housing development, also brings $7.5 million in funding for new BART cars, 2 miles of new protected bikeways, and pedestrian enhancements in the vicinity of the project. Enterprise also provided a $750,000 predevelopment loan to the Lake Merritt Senior project through the Transit Oriented Affordable Housing Fund to pay for architectural and engineering costs.

The City of Oakland received $10 million of HIT funding for predevelopment and infrastructure improvements to advance the West Oakland BART-Mandela Station project. This development when completed will add 2,705 highly transit-accessible homes, 418 of which will be affordable, as well as commercial and retail space at the West Oakland BART station.

Enterprise is also pleased to have provided AHSC technical assistance to this project, which resulted in a successful award of $20.5 million for the affordable housing component and $9 million for neighborhood mobility enhancements which include new BART cars, new bike infrastructure on 18th St., and comprehensive walkway enhancements surrounding the station.  

The REAP 2.0 program is an important new tool for creating equitable housing and transportation opportunities in California. The recent REAP awards will advance projects that provide critical access to affordable housing that is walkable, bikeable and transit accessible. Affordable housing in amenity rich neighborhoods is a critical strategy in achieving our joint housing, climate, and equity goals. Enterprise strongly supports the work funded by REAP 2.0 and hopes to see the program grow in future years.