Sacramento, California – Sacramento has again been recognized by the State of California for doing more than simply talking about the housing crisis.
The City of Sacramento successfully renewed its Prohousing Designation with the California Department of Housing and Community Development, earning the highest score in the state among the 74 jurisdictions currently holding the designation. The recognition is tied to local policies that go beyond state housing law and are designed to make it easier, faster and more practical to build homes.
Mayor Pro Tem Eric Guerra celebrated the award as a major moment for Sacramento, saying the city’s work reflects years of effort to address a housing shortage affecting communities across California.
“Sacramento is a Prohousing city, and I am proud that we received the highest score possible from the State,” Guerra said.
“This is a testament to years of work and our continued commitment to addressing the housing crisis affecting cities across the state.”
The Prohousing Designation Program gives cities and counties an advantage when they compete for certain state housing, community development and infrastructure funding. Jurisdictions must score at least 30 points to qualify. Sacramento received a score of 108, placing it at the top of the list statewide.
The designation is valid for three years, meaning jurisdictions must reapply to keep it. Sacramento was the first city in California to receive the designation in 2022 and became the first jurisdiction to apply for renewal.
Mayor Kevin McCarty said the recognition shows that Sacramento’s housing strategy is producing results.
“Sacramento is committed to building more housing faster. This Prohousing Designation is an acknowledgement of the hard work we have put in to be a pro-housing leader with initiatives like Streamline Sacramento,” McCarty said.
“Our dedication is paying off; Sacramento has consistently been one of the highest housing producers per capita among large California cities since 2020.”
Several city policies helped Sacramento earn the renewal. Those include allowing missing middle housing such as duplexes, triplexes and fourplexes in areas once limited to single-family homes, eliminating minimum parking requirements for residential projects, creating ministerial approval processes, reducing development impact fees for affordable housing units and streamlining permitting.
Guerra connected the recognition to his own long-running focus on housing policy.
“Since my time at Sac State, I have been advocating for more policies that make it easier to build affordable housing throughout the city,” he said.
“This designation reflects our collective commitment to house Sacramentans and makes sure we all have a place called home.”
The renewal also keeps Sacramento eligible for additional state support through the Prohousing Incentive Program, which helps fund affordable housing production and preservation. More information about the state program is available through the California Department of Housing and Community Development website: https://www.hcd.ca.gov/planning-and-community-development/prohousing-designation-program
For city leaders, the award is not only a mark of past work. It is also a signal of where Sacramento says it wants to keep going: toward faster approvals, more housing options and a city where more residents can find a place to live.