Nine new communities designated as prohousing

California Construction News staff writer

Eureka, Healdsburg, Mountain View, Petaluma, San Luis Obispo, Santa Monica, and the County of Tulare are the latest communities to earn a prohousing designation which comes with priority for resources to build housing to help meet the statewide goal of 2.5 million homes by 2030. The announcement brings the total number of California’s prohousing communities to 37.

“We need to aggressively build more housing to support Californians. Prohousing cities move to the front of the line when it comes to incentives, funding and other state resources,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement. “It’s critical for more communities to join in this distinction and build their fair share of housing.”

The state is committed to building 2.5 million new homes by 2030 and the prohousing designation rewards communities that reduce barriers to construction, lower costs, and create overall housing policies aligned with state goals.

Prohousing communities receive additional points in the scoring of competitive housing, community development, and infrastructure funding administered by the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD).

“Communities whether large or small, rural or urban, are actively working to accelerate the development of housing for Californians at all income levels,” said HCD Director Gustavo Velasquez.