On Dec 15th, the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) announced the cities of Citrus Heights, Fontana, Oakland, Roseville, San Diego, and West Sacramento earned the state’s coveted Prohousing Designation.

Governor Gavin Newsom’s fiscal year 2019-2020 budget established the Prohousing Designation Program as part of an  incentive package to help meet California’s housing goals. This program is aimed at increasing the availability of housing statewide. 

The designation provides incentives to cities and counties in the form of additional points and/or other preferences in the scoring of competitive housing, community development, and infrastructure funding programs administered by HCD.

“Fontana is focused on creating a future that is more equitable, sustainable, and more resilient than ever. Real solutions require a higher level of collaboration and support. This designation represents another critical tool in our arsenal to tackle the far-reaching issues of affordable housing and homelessness,” said Mayor Acquanetta Warren.

“These communities have stepped up to implement policies that aggressively eliminate bureaucratic obstacles and drive the growth of housing throughout the state,” said Governor Newsom. “This is one of many innovative approaches the state is taking to create greater accountability and reward municipalities willing to do their part to help collectively tackle the need for more housing. This is the right approach and I look forward to seeing more communities join in this effort.”

Cities and counties that receive the designation must demonstrate they are promoting climate-smart housing in a variety of ways, including but not limited to: streamlining multifamily housing development, up-zoning in places near jobs and transit to reduce emissions, and creating more affordable homes in places that historically or currently exclude households earning lower incomes and households of color.

“Prohousing cities demonstrate they are ready and willing to be part of the statewide housing solution to getting at least 2.5 million new homes by 2030, by eliminating many of the barriers to building affordable housing near daily destinations,” HCD Director Gustavo Velasquez said. “As promised, the state is ready and willing to award grants to Prohousing cities with the new Prohousing Incentive Pilot Program, to help get smart planning over the finish line.”