Priority Sites
Priority Sites are locally-identified, regionally significant places that will offer homes affordable to people of all incomes, backgrounds and abilities. Sites include or are nearby to essential services, green space and frequent public transit. In November 2023, MTC and the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) approved 211 sites across all 9 counties which have the capacity to add 171,000 homes.
What are Priority Sites?
Priority Sites are places that communities identify to help meet both local and regional housing needs. These sites could be a declining mall, a recently closed public facility, a transit station parking lot or unused school district land. Some sites have been planned for decades or are partially built out. Others were more recently considered as part of a local Housing Element or a Specific Plan.
The Priority Sites Program brings the region one step closer to a collaborative approach to planning for future growth. The approved sites are part of Priority Development Areas, Transit-Oriented Communities, or other Growth Geographies.
View the map of Priority Sites, which includes Regionally Significant Sites, Community Anchor Sites and the Public Sites Portfolio.
Predevelopment Funding & Technical Assistance
The Priority Sites Program includes two funding opportunities:
- Predevelopment Funding: In May 2024, the Bay Area Housing Finance Authority (BAHFA) awarded $28 million in predevelopment loans to projects poised to add more than 2,000 permanently affordable homes to Priority Sites across the Bay Area. This critical funding will enable eight projects to complete the predevelopment work necessary to receive full financing and break ground. The application period is currently closed.
- Technical Assistance: To complement predevelopment funding, MTC awarded $4.2 million in Technical Assistance to sites that are earlier in the development process, but together have the potential to add more than 13,000 homes. This funding will enable local governments and emerging developers to conduct the work necessary to envision and entitle future projects that have been identified as community priorities. Future funding opportunities will be posted on this website.
Priority Sites Program Timeline
| Milestone | Timeframe |
|---|---|
| Priority Sites Nominations | 2023 |
| Pilot Project Applications & Awards | Mid-2023 through Mid-2024 |
| Complete Pilot Projects | Mid-2024 through December 2026 |
| Deliver Technical Assistance | Mid-2024 through December 2027 |
| Integrate Priority Sites Into Plan Bay Area 2050+ | 2024 through December 2025 |
| Provide Regional Resources | Mid-2023 through December 2027 |
Staff Contacts
Mark Shorett
Email: mshorett@bayareametro.gov
Amba Gupta
Email: agupta@bayareametro.gov
The Priority Sites Program is just one piece of the region’s long-range plan for transportation, housing, the economy and the environment. The Priority Sites Program supports two high-impact Plan Bay Area 2050 strategies that will help the region spur housing production for residents at all income levels, and create inclusive communities:
- Strategy H6: Accelerate reuse of public and community-owned land for mixed-income housing and essential services
- Strategy H8: Transform aging malls and office parks into neighborhoods
MTC, Association of Bay Area Governments and Bay Area Housing Finance Authority staff hosted a webinar on September 21, 2022 to highlight findings from the Priority Sites Concept Paper and provide further insight into the pilot program’s proposed approach to advancing major reuse projects.