Governor Gavin Newsom announced $11.3 million in awards to 13 California cities and counties that have earned the state's prohousing designation, supporting local efforts to accelerate affordable housing development.
The funding comes through the fourth round of the Prohousing Incentive Program (PIP), administered by the California Department of Housing and Community Development. The program has awarded $70.3 million to date.
The awardees are the cities of Arvin, Benicia, Vista, Culver City, Indio, Lancaster, Santa Ana, Santa Barbara, Sunnyvale, and Woodland, and the counties of Nevada, Santa Barbara, and Trinity. These communities received the prohousing designation by demonstrating they are accelerating housing production through policies such as streamlining multifamily development, up-zoning near jobs and transit, and creating affordable homes in areas that historically excluded lower-income households.
Seventy-five California jurisdictions now hold the prohousing designation. Since October 2025, ten jurisdictions earned the designation for the first time, including the cities of Arvin, Benicia, Chico, Culver City, Fort Bragg, Marina, Sand City, and Santa Barbara, and the counties of Santa Barbara and Trinity.
Under Governor Newsom's administration, residential construction has increased 59% annually, from 70,000 homes built in 2018 to about 111,000 in 2024. Average approval time from development application to entitlement has been cut by 57%, from 160 days to 68 days in 2024. Through planning efforts, communities have accommodated at least 3.6 million new homes, including 1.4 million affordable units.
California has also achieved the largest statewide reduction in unsheltered homelessness in 16 years, with an 8,391-person reduction representing a 6.8% decline—more than any other state and more than twice the national average.