Prohousing Designation Program Application

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What is the Prohousing Designation Program?

Increasing the availability of housing statewide is critical to bettering the life of all Californians and ending homelessness. The Prohousing Designation Program is a California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) initiative that rewards local governments for adopting policies and practices that proactively advance the state's housing goals and encourage housing development.

By pursuing the Prohousing Designation, the City of Cotati seeks formal recognition from the state for its strong commitment to housing production. This includes implementing policies and procedures that facilitate housing development, streamlining the approval process, and removing unnecessary barriers to housing construction beyond the minimum requirements of State Law.

What are the benefits of being Prohousing Designated?

Achieving Prohousing Designation is essential for advancing affordable housing production, as many such projects rely on federal and state funding to be financially feasible. Jurisdictions with this designation can receive priority processing or additional funding points when applying to various state programs. These include:

  • Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities (AHSC)
  • Infill Infrastructure Grant (IIG)
  • Transformative Climate Communities (TCC)
  • Solutions for Congested Corridors (SCCP)
  • Local Partnership Program (LPP)
  • Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program (TIRCP)
  • Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant Program (STPG)

Additionally, receiving a Prohousing Designation enables jurisdictions to apply for the Prohousing Incentive Program (PIP). PIP provides extra funding directly to designated local governments to accelerate the production and preservation of affordable housing.

Application Information

Applying for Prohousing Designation requires jurisdictions to meet a series of requirements such as having a certified Housing Element, engaging in public participation, being in compliance with applicable state housing law, and more. Additionally, the application consists of seven appendices. The draft application with appendices are available on this webpage for public review via the following links:

The California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) evaluates a jurisdiction's application for Prohousing Designation based on its existing and proposed policies across four key categories:

  1. Favorable Zoning and Land Use
  2. Acceleration of Housing Production Timeframes
  3. Reduction of Construction and Development Costs
  4. Providing Financial Subsidies

Enhancement factors allow policies to earn additional points within these categories when they align with state priorities, such as preventing displacement, promoting fair housing, and mitigating climate change.

To qualify for Prohousing Designation, a jurisdiction must:

  • Demonstrate at least one enacted or proposed policy in each of the four categories that contributes to accelerating housing production, and
  • Achieve a minimum total score of 30 points across all categories.

Public participation and timeline

The City is requesting public comments on the draft application through March 26, 2026. Subsequent revisions to the application will be posted on this website and via email to all commentors and interested parties.

  1. Email comments: Send an email to jpharries@cotaticity.gov with “Prohousing Designation Application” in the subject line. Emailed comments must be received no later than March 26, 2026.
  2. Mailed comments: Must be postmarked no later than March 23, 2026, and mailed to City of Cotati, Department of Community Development, 201 West Sierra Ave., Cotati, CA 94931.