Performance period: 8/1/2019 to 7/31/2020

The Southern California region faces an affordable housing crisis. This crisis can be addressed by promoting affordable housing for the disadvantaged in Transit Oriented Developments (TODs). TODs frequently face regulatory and non- regulatory barriers. In this study we identify those barriers to affordable housing and recommend how to redress this problem. We present findings from 10 case study station areas in Los Angeles and Orange counties, using mixed-methods approach involving socio-economic and land use analysis, and interviews with planners, policymakers, and housing developers. Our analysis reveals a fundamental disconnect between affordable housing and public transit which is compounded by several factors: the scarcity of funds and a patchwork of financing needed to develop affordable housing; onerous regulatory land use/incentive requirements; unpredictability in the permitting process; and persisting NIMBYism. To mitigate challenges and their concomitant risks, we present recommendations to promote the production of affordable housing in TODs. These recommendations establish the primacy of the transit station - as rings of opportunity - that through incremental policy, procedural streamlining, and "by-right" layering of incentives can stimulate investments for affordable housing. Today, more than ever, regional collaboration, public-private partnerships, and unfettered thinking is needed to address this existential issue.