The Prohousing Designation Program

The County of San Mateo (County) is preparing an application to the California (State) Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) under the Prohousing Designation Program (PDP). The PDP is a State program that awards prohousing designations to local jurisdictions that go “above and beyond” to promote the production of housing and to increase affordable housing opportunities. The designation is valid for three years and gives priority access for various types of State funding  sources that support affordable housing, transportation, infrastructure, climate resiliency, and other related objectives. Some funding sources such as the Prohousing Incentive Program and the Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention (HHAP) grant program require prohousing designations from local government applicants.

The County has already developed and implemented many prohousing policies and programs that are aligned with the State’s PDP. Through the PDP application, the County is pleased to present an overview of the County’s current work in promoting the production of housing and increasing affordable housing opportunities. A prohousing designation from the State could help secure more funding to further this work.

Community Participation (30-Day Comment Period)

The County is seeking public input on its application for the Prohousing Designation Program (PDP) to inform stakeholders, encourage public feedback, and ensure transparency throughout the application process. 

An electronic copy of the application’s components can be found at the links below. A physical copy of the application will also be available for viewing at the following County locations:

Department of Housing: 264 Harbor Blvd., Building #A, Belmont, CA 94002

Planning and Building Department: 455 County Center, Redwood City, CA 94063

Comments can be emailed to housing@smchousing.org with "Pro-Housing Designation Program" in the subject line. To make sure your comments are included, please submit them via email by the end of day on Thursday, December 17th, 2026.  All written comments received from any public agency, group, or person will be included as a part of the final application submitted to the State.

A Board of Supervisors meeting will be held in early 2027, informing the public of the County’s intent to apply to the PDP.

Application 

The PDP application awards points to jurisdictions using four scoring categories. Applicants shall demonstrate that they have enacted or proposed policies that significantly contribute to the acceleration of housing production in each of the four categories:

1) Favorable Zoning and Land Use (for unincorporated County)

(2) Acceleration of Housing Production Timeframes (for unincorporated County)

(3) Reduction of Construction and Development Costs (for unincorporated County)

(4) Providing Financial Subsidies (County-wide policies)

Applicants must score a minimum of 30 points across the four categories and provide supporting documents to demonstrate compliance with HCD policies. In addition, each Prohousing policy has an opportunity to receive extra points if they incorporate an enhancement factor. The County’s application currently proposes a self-score of 64 points.