Missing the cut – Elk Grove not included in Gov. Newsom’s 7 new cities designated as Prohousing
Other regionally cities designated as Prohousing
Today, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s list of cities receiving a Prohousing designation expanded by 7, and not surprisingly, it did not include Elk Grove.
The cities receiving the designation are Eureka, Healdsburg, Mountain View, Petaluma, San Luis Obispo, Santa Monica, and the County of Tulare. The Prohousing designation indicates the cities have reduced red tape and speeding up housing approvals.
“We need to aggressively build more housing to support Californians. Prohousing cities move to the front of the line when it comes to incentives, funding, and other state resources,” Gov. Newsom said. “It’s critical for more communities to join in this distinction and build their fair share of housing.”
Today’s announcement brings the total number of California’s Prohousing communities to 37. Cities and counties with this designation receive additional points in scoring competitive housing, community development, and infrastructure funding administered by the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD).
“Communities, whether large or small, rural or urban, are actively working to accelerate the development of housing for Californians at all income levels,” HCD Director Gustavo Velasquez said in today’s announcement. “We are pleased to be able to reward our Prohousing partners with incentives to help them build on their innovative efforts to break down barriers to development.”
Although Elk Grove touts its ethnic and racial diversity, it has run afoul of HCD, Newsom, and California Attorney General Rob Bonta for violating fair housing laws, especially for low-income families. The state is suing the city for its July 2022 rejection of the Oak Rose supportive housing project in Old Town-Historic Downtown Elk Grove.
The city has said they have a settlement in principle with the Oak Rose developers, who also sued them, but terms will not be available until February 28. It is unclear what effect the tentative lawsuit settlement with the Oak Rose developers will have on the state’s pursuit of Elk Grove.
While Elk Grove Mayor Bobbie Singh-Allen and her four city councilmen have not expressed interest in becoming a Prohousing city, other Sacramento regional cities are included. The list includes Sacramento County and the municipalities of Citrus Heights, Rancho Cordova, Roseville, Sacramento, and West Sacramento.
