Senator Patricia Bates (R-Laguna Niguel) has announced that the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) has awarded a $150,000 Local Early Action Planning (LEAP) grant to the City of Aliso Viejo to help create more housing supply.

“I congratulate the City of Aliso Viejo on being awarded a state housing planning grant,” said Senator Bates, a member of the Senate Housing Committee. “The grant will help lay the foundation needed to provide for the city’s housing needs now and in the future.”

Funding for the grant comes from the 2019-20 state budget, which allocated $250 million to help prioritize planning activities that accelerate housing production. HCD established LEAP with $119 million in one-time grant funding for cities and counties.

Aliso Viejo will use its grant to update its “Housing Element” document. A Housing Element provides an analysis of community housing needs for all income levels, and strategies to provide for those needs.

Senator Bates previously announced LEAP grant awards to San Juan Capistrano on September 28, and to San Clemente and Rancho Santa Margarita on August 10. The LEAP grants are in addition to SB 2 (2017) planning grants that she has announced on January 6 for Aliso Viejo, Dana Point, and Rancho Santa Margarita; and on February 20 for San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano.