The city of Sacramento Thursday became the first jurisdiction in California to earn the state Prohousing Designation — a distinction that will give it added points when competing for affordable housing, transportation and infrastructure dollars.
The Prohousing Designation Program, run by the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), provides incentives to cities and counties in the form of additional points or other preference in the scoring of competitive housing, community development and infrastructure programs.
“Increasing the availability of housing statewide is critical to bettering the quality of life of all Californians and to ending homelessness,” Governor Gavin Newsom said. “I’d like to commend the efforts of the City of Sacramento to become the first jurisdiction in the state to make this commitment and hopefully show other cities and counties across California that together, we can do this. These local actions combined with State funding and guidance will bring in new housing to communities while reducing negative impacts on our climate.”
“I’m proud to see Sacramento recognized for being a state leader when it comes to eliminating the barriers to building the affordable, transit-friendly housing we so desperately need in our city and all over the state,” said Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg. “This designation signals to the development community that we stand ready to work with you and find creative ways to house more people.”
To be eligible for a Prohousing Designation, a jurisdiction must receive a minimum score of 30 on its application – the City of Sacramento attained a score of 64.
Actions taken by the City to help attain the Prohousing Designation include, but are not limited to, waiving fees for affordable housing construction, allowing housing by right in commercial corridors, speeding approvals for accessory dwelling units, and reducing or eliminating parking requirements for new housing, among many other policies the city has adopted or is pursuing.
For more information on HCD’s Prohousing Designation Program, please visit the HCD website here.
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