Prohousing designation extended to 11 new communities

California Construction News staff writer

Emeryville, Fresno, Needles, Rancho Cordova, Redwood City, Riverside, Salinas, Stockton, and Ukiah, and the counties of San Diego and Yuba have been designated as Prohousing communities and are now eligible for funding to build more housing, faster.

“Remarkably, in just a few weeks since our last announcement, the number of Prohousing Designations has doubled, a testament to the growing number of communities taking responsibility and committing to building their fair share of housing,” said Governor Gavin Newsom. “Instead of making excuses, these jurisdictions are rising to the challenge, making difficult choices and ensuring that Californians have access to needed housing.”

The state has a goal of building 2.5 million new homes over the next eight years, with at least one million for lower-income Californians.

Cities and counties that earn the Prohousing Designation receive additional points or other preferences in the scoring of competitive funding programs administered by California’s Housing and Community Development Agency (HCD), giving them an advantage over other jurisdictions.

To earn the designation, cities and counties must promote climate-smart housing development by enacting policies, including streamlining multifamily housing developments, up-zoning in places near jobs and transit to reduce emissions, and creating more affordable homes in places that historically or currently exclude households of color and those earning lower incomes.

Los Angeles, El Cerrito, Citrus Heights, Fontana, Oakland, Roseville, San Diego, West Sacramento, and Sacramento, and the counties of Sacramento and Placer also have a prohousing designation.