Eureka one of 7 communities recently added to the prohousing designation

Governor Gavin Newsom announced today that the cities of Eureka, Healdsburg, Mountain View, Petaluma, San Luis Obispo, Santa Monica, and the County of Tulare, have earned the Prohousing designation by cutting red tape and speeding up housing approvals. Today’s announcement brings the total number of California’s Prohousing communities to 37.   

The Statewide Housing Plan demonstrated that California needs to plan for 2.5 million new homes over the next eight years, with at least one million serving the needs of lower-income Californians. Reaching that goal will only be possible with the concerted efforts of state and local governments actively working to implement state housing laws and best practices that go above and beyond. The Prohousing Designation rewards communities that are willing to cut through red tape, reduce construction and development costs, and create housing policies with a growth mindset by providing them with funding incentives and additional resources that help scale up those innovative efforts.

Governor Newsom said: “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. It’s critical for more communities to join in this distinction and build their fair share of housing.”

The Prohousing Designation Program is part of a package of supports, incentives, and accountability measures established by the 2019-20 Budget Act. By earning the Prohousing Designation, communities receive exclusive access to Prohousing grants and additional points in the scoring of competitive housing, community development, and infrastructure funding programs 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. “We are pleased to be able to reward our Prohousing partners with incentives to help them build on their innovative efforts to break down barriers to development.”

The use of incentives and supports encourages California communities to find creative solutions around barriers to housing production—barriers which have contributed to the current housing affordability crisis that has been decades in the making. Whether it is through accelerated production, equitable zoning, sustainable land use, reduced development costs, or financial subsidies, the 37 Prohousing communities are actively working toward the state’s goal of permitting 2.5 million new homes by 2030.

On January 23, HCD announced new permanent Prohousing Designation Program guidelines, as well as a Notice of Funding Availability for the second round of the Prohousing Incentive Program. Prohousing jurisdictions have until March 15, 2024, to apply for a share of the $9.5 million available through this current round of incentives.

For local leaders, earning the Prohousing Designation takes commitment to policies that accelerate housing production and minimize obstacles. These leaders must proactively work with state leaders to combat homelessness and increase the availability of affordable housing in their jurisdictions, bettering the quality of life for all Californians. Jurisdictions earning the Prohousing Designation are aggressively taking on that challenge with resilience, steadfast determination, and accountability.

The City of Eureka is implementing a variety of policies to further housing production and reduce barriers to development. The city removed open space requirements in all zones and added residential subdivision alternatives. Each single-family lot is allowed up to four housing units, and a total of three units are allowed on each half of a lot split, bringing the total to six. The city also reduced parking requirements using exemptions such as no parking required for accessory dwelling units (ADUs), SB 9 units, affordable housing, and small units.