Systemic challenges and concrete policies prevent investment in quality, healthy, resource-rich affordable housing. In order to overcome these challenges, there is a great need for data-driven and informed advocacy on local, regional, state, and federal levels that results in strategic and sustainable development of communities. This data can support the work of planners, developers, and other decision-makers in creating holistic and catalytic projects that are competitive for these limited resources.

The Transportation Equity and Environmental Justice Advisory Group (TEEJAG), is an advisory body dedicated to providing feedback on current and future research conducted by the Climate Smart Transportation and Communities Consortium (C-STACC).

Federal transportation authorizations require metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) to identify and track key indicators of system performance (e.g. collision rates, emissions, congestion) to ensure that they are stewarding public funds wisely to meet specific goals related to safety, environmental performance, and congestion mitigation, among other areas.

The growing demand for affordable homes, coupled with the increasing local opposition known as NIMBYism (“Not in My Back Yard”), signals a need to put a face to affordable housing.

In fall of 2010, the Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG) and its partners received a grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for regional planning to accelerate transit-oriented development (TOD) in the Sacramento region. The Center for Regional Change (was primarily responsible for developing mechanisms for analyzing the social equity considerations in prioritizing transit-oriented development projects, and for promoting these considerations as a central part of the TPA selection process.

The Sacramento Coalition on Regional Equity Collaborative Assessment of Regional Development (SCORECARD) Baseline Regional Report provided an overview of levels and patterns of opportunity and disparity in the region. The study was conducted in 2010.