Prohousing Designation Program
The County of Ventura intends to pursue a Prohousing Designation from the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD). The Prohousing Designation recognizes jurisdictions that are committed to accelerating housing production, removing barriers to development, and implementing housing-friendly policies.
Receiving a Prohousing Designation makes the County, as well as developers proposing projects within the unincorporated county, eligible for additional state funding opportunities and competitive advantages when applying for certain housing and infrastructure programs. For more information about HCD’s Prohousing Designation Program, please visit HCD’s Prohousing Designation webpage.
This webpage includes information about the County’s proposed Prohousing Designation application, which can be accessed through the following links.
Upcoming Key Dates
1. Board of Supervisors Hearing – Tuesday, April 28, 2026, at 10:30 a.m.
The Board of Supervisors will consider adoption of a Resolution authorizing the County to apply for and participate in the State Prohousing Designation Program.
The agenda for this hearing will be available on Thursday, April 23, 2026 after 5:00 p.m. at this link. You can use the same link to watch the hearing. If you would like to participate or submit a public comment, please use this link.
2. Diligent Public Participation Period (30 Days) – April 30, 2026–May 29, 2026 (anticipated)
Following Board authorization, the County will initiate a 30-day diligent public participation process. During this time, the draft Prohousing Designation Application will be available for public review and comment.
Please check back for details.
Prohousing Designation and its Benefits
The Prohousing Designation Program, administered by HCD, recognizes jurisdictions that:
- Maintain a compliant Housing Element
- Implement policies that accelerate housing production
- Reduce development constraints and costs
- Promote fair housing and equitable access to opportunity
- Comply with applicable state housing laws
To qualify, jurisdictions must meet all threshold requirements and achieve a minimum score of 30 points across four policy categories.
Receiving a Prohousing Designation documents the County’s commitment to housing and recognizes the work that has already been done to address the County’s housing shortage and affordability crisis. The Prohousing Designation makes the County eligible to apply for Prohousing Incentive Program (PIP) funds to create and conserve affordable housing in the unincorporated County. It also makes the County eligible for priority processing or funding points when applying for several infrastructure and other funding programs for the unincorporated County area, including but not limited to:
- Affordable Housing & Sustainable Communities
- Infill Infrastructure Grant
- Transformative Climate Communities
- Solutions for Congested Corridors
- Local Partnership Program
- Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program
Prohousing Application Overview
The Prohousing Designation application will be submitted to HCD for review after the public participation process that includes outreach and opportunity for public comment on the draft application – which consists of threshold requirements and seven appendices.
The core of the application is focused on Appendix 3, the self-scoring sheet. A minimum of 30 points must be reached to achieve a Prohousing Designation across the following four categories:
- Favorable Zoning and Land Use
- Acceleration of Housing Production Timeframes
- Reduction of Construction and Development Costs
- Providing Financial Subsidies
Points are allocated from meeting base criteria for the category number, and certain enhancement factors which indicate that the County aligns with state priorities, such as mitigating climate change, promoting fair housing, and preventing displacement. Points are received for both enacted and proposed policies. Proposed policies must be implemented within two years of application submittal.
Public Participation
The County is committed to a transparent and inclusive public process. During the 30-day public participation period (anticipated from April 30 – May 29, 2026), the draft Prohousing Designation Application will be posted here for review and public comment. Details on how to submit comments will be provided at the start of the public review period.
Please check back for details, and sign up below to receive notifications from staff regarding key dates and milestones.
Get Involved
If you would like to recieve notifications on this project, please fill out the following form:
Prohousing Designation Program Interested Parties
If you have questions about this program, please contact the Project Planner, Joy Werner at Joy.Werner@venturacounty.gov or by calling 805-477-7164.