Redevelopment Agencies in California:

Abstract

local redevelopment agencies (RDAs), which had operated since the end of World War II. In recent times, these agencies served as an important component of the affordable housing development landscape in California. This paper, developed by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD’s) Office of Policy Development and Research (PD&R), examines the history of California’s RDAs, describes their successes and failures, and addresses the anticipated effects of their shut down on the future of affordable housing development in California. The first section of the paper traces the history and development of RDAs from their inception in 1945 through the legislative fight that dissolved them in 2011. The next section presents examples of the RDAs successes and failures over the years. The third section examines the RDAs closures and the anticipated impact that the closures will have on affordabl