June 25, 2026

The County Board of Supervisors considered options for implementing a Local Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) Mitigation Program at their June 10 Board meeting. VMT is a measure that housing development must mitigate under state law. This regulation adds burdensome costs to the construction of much needed new housing in the County’s unincorporated area.

Due to a recent court decision, housing development that is consistent with the County’s General Plan does not currently need to mitigate for VMT, which has allowed for the possibility of new housing in the unincorporated area. The County Board of Supervisors considered whether to direct County staff

to work on a Local VMT Mitigation Program for housing projects that are not consistent with the County’s General Plan. Chamber staff met with County offices and County staff to advocate against this idea, as it would seldom be used by the development community and would take staff away from more important ongoing housing initiatives, including the County’s Sustainable Land Use Frame

work, which will modernize land use planning across the unincorporated area and allow for possible new housing in climate efficient areas.

The Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to not move forward with a Local Mitigation Program currently, but to instead monitor changes to VMT policy at the state level, work with SANDAG on a regional mitigation program, and direct staff time to the Sustainable Land Use Framework. We appreciate

the Board’s leadership on this issue and their commonsense approach to ensuring more housing opportunities for our region’s workforce!