Prohousing Designation Program

Draft Prohousing Designation Application for County of Ventura – Now Available for Public Review and Comment from April 30, 2026 to May 29, 2026.

Visit the Public Participation section below to review the draft application, participate in a meeting, and submit comments

The County of Ventura intends to pursue a Prohousi ng 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.

Key Dates
Prohousing Designation and its Benefits
Prohousing Application Overview
Public Participation
- Outreach Methods
- Draft Application
Get Involved

Key Dates

1. Board of Supervisors Hearing – Tuesday, April 28, 2026, at 10:30 a.m.

On April 28, 2026, the Ventura County Board of Supervisors adopted a Resolution authorizing the County to apply for and participate in the State Prohousing Designation Program.

The agenda and materials for this hearing are available on the Board of Supervisors Meeting Agendas webpage and the County of Ventura PrimeGov Portal.

2. Diligent Public Participation Period (30 Days) – April 30, 2026–May 29, 2026

Following Board authorization, the County is conducting a 30-day diligent public participation process. During this time, the Draft Prohousing Designation Application will be available for public review and comment.

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. The Draft Prohousing Designation Application is posted below for review and public comment during the 30-day public participation period (April 30–May 29, 2026).

Outreach Methods

Outreach Type	Date	Materials and Links
Stakeholder Informational Session	February 17, 2026	Presentation
Board of Supervisors Hearing	April 28, 2026	Hearing Materials Hearing Video
Planning Commission Presentation	May 7, 2026, 8:30am	To Watch: Planning Commission’s Live Broadcasts and Video Archives webpage To Participate/Submit Comments: Planning Commission’s Public Comments webpage
Informational Webinar	May 19, 2026, 2:00-3:00pm	Zoom Registration Link: https://www.zoomgov.com/meeting/register/Q2x6J24WSJOcz-Jh_zgdIw
Continuum of Care Meeting (Virtual)	May 21, 2026, 10:30am-12:00pm	Zoom Link: https://www.zoomgov.com/j/1607475943 Meeting ID: 160 747 5943
County Prohousing Designation Flyer	Posted between April 30-May 29, 2026	Flyer

Draft Application

The County’s Draft Prohousing Designation Application is available for review via the links below.

Get Involved

If you would like to submit a comment on this project, or receive notifications about the program, please fill out the following form. Alternatively, you can also email your comments to the Project Planner, Joy Werner, at Joy.Werner@venturacounty.gov.