HCD Awards Prohousing Designation to the City of Alameda

The California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) is pleased to announce the City of Alameda has earned the Prohousing Designation.

Increasing the availability of housing statewide is critical to bettering the quality of life for all Californians and to ending homelessness. The Prohousing Designation Program was established in the 2019-20 Budget Act to recognize cities and counties that demonstrate a commitment to enacting proactive policy changes and providing incentives to break down barriers to housing development. Fifty-two California communities have now earned this coveted distinction.

Its Prohousing Designation demonstrates that the City of Alameda has shown a commitment to enacting Prohousing policies that go above and beyond state housing law, identifying the City as a partner to the state in combatting the housing crisis. The City has directed residual development funds to accelerate the production of affordable housing by annually adopting the Recognized Obligation Payments Schedule to support preservation of an existing affordable senior rental development and funding new construction of affordable housing. Additionally, the City established a local financing tool that supports the Alameda Point Public Services District for newly entitled and constructed units of which more than 20 percent are designated as affordable to lower-income households. Finally, the City of Alameda has initiated an adaptive reuse residential density waiver that allows additional units in existing space conversions by right, going beyond the requirements of Accessory Dwelling Unit Law and Senate Bill 9.

The Prohousing Designation Program aims to encourage jurisdictions to pass and implement policies that promote favorable zoning and land use, decrease production timeframes, reduce construction and development costs, and provide financial subsidies. By earning the Prohousing Designation, communities receive exclusive access to Prohousing Incentive Program grants and additional points in the scoring of competitive housing, community development, and infrastructure funding programs administered by HCD.

Main principles of the Prohousing Designation Program include accelerating housing production, facilitating strategic and equitable communities, and accounting for the rural, suburban, and urban differences in California’s diverse communities.

For more information, please visit our Prohousing Designation Program webpage.