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Council votes to seek state ProHousing designation, staff says Fresno likely to score highly
Summary
Fresno City Council authorized the city’s application to the State’s ProHousing designation program and directed staff to submit a new application that city planners say will likely exceed state point thresholds.
Fresno City Council on Aug. 28 voted unanimously to authorize the city to apply for the State of California’s ProHousing designation, a voluntary program intended to reward jurisdictions for practices that accelerate housing production and reduce barriers to development.
Planning staff told the council the city is submitting a new application that lists currently enacted programs and policies and does not obligate the council to take additional future actions. Planning Director Jennifer Clark said the minimum threshold for the program is 30 points and staff expects the city’s application to score ‘‘well above’’ that — potentially exceeding 100 points — based on policies already in place. Clark said staff plans to submit the application in September and that the state will take roughly 30 days to determine completeness; she expects designation by October if the application is complete.
Public commenters urged the council to include stronger tenant protections and to adopt additional anti‑displacement measures in the application. Pedro Martinez, a policy advocate with Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability, urged the city to incorporate local measures such as rent‑control and just‑cause eviction protections or an inclusionary housing requirement into the application’s enhancement categories. Another speaker, identified as Brandy, called on the council to strictly follow the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness’ seven principles for addressing encampments and said the city’s current outreach and storage practices for displaced people fall short of those principles.
Why it matters: ProHousing designation can provide procedural benefits for housing projects and is intended to signal to developers that a jurisdiction is ‘‘open for housing’’ by documenting local policies and programs that facilitate housing production. Senior staff described the city’s resubmission as an opportunity to showcase measures Fresno has already implemented while avoiding promises for actions the council has not yet approved.
What passed: The council approved the resolution authorizing application and participation in the ProHousing designation program (file ID 25‑1015). The motion was made by Vice President Arias and seconded by Council Member Maxwell; the vote was 7‑0 in favor.
Ending: Clark told the council the application will reflect enacted policies only, and she expects the city to be formally notified by the state within weeks after submission if the application is complete.
