Prohousing Designation Program Application
The City prepared an application to the State's Prohousing Designation Program, recognizing housing achievements over the last several years, including the successful implementation of many Housing Element programs. A Prohousing Designation would give Palo Alto a meaningful advantage when pursuing State housing and infrastructure funding and allow the City to access additional funding for housing efforts through the Prohousing Incentive Program.
Key components of the draft application include: Self-Scoring Sheet identifying enacted and proposed Prohousing Policies; a summary of encampment best practices, consistent with the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness' "7 Principles for Addressing Encampments;" and supporting materials demonstrating the City's commitment to housing production.
Final Application Materials and Next Steps
In mid-July, the City completed its review and incorporation of public comments and made minor modifications and additions to the Public Review Draft of the application materials. The Final Application(PDF, 14MB) is now available online and any further comments or questions on the draft may be sent via email to Julia Knight in the Planning and Development Services Department at Julia.Knight@PaloAlto.gov through July 29, 2026. The City intends to submit its final application on July 30, 2026.
Following the City's submission of the final application, the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) will have 60 days to review and provide feedback, as needed. The City anticipate receiving a designation determination from HCD in the fall.
Public Review Concluded June 24
Draft application materials were shared with the public in-person and online on May 18, 2026. Members of the public were able to view the draft application materials(PDF, 11MB) and provide feedback through Wednesday, June 24, 2026 (extended from June 17, 2026). Printed copies of the draft application materials were also available for public review at the City's Development Center located at 285 Hamilton Ave.
Note: An updated version of the draft materials was made available at the Development Center on June 15, 2026 and online on June 16, 2026. The updated version incorporated recent feedback received from the State into Appendix 5 and provided additional reference documents in Appendix 7.
Recent Community Engagement
Community members were invited to learn more about the City's Prohousing Designation Program application process, ask questions and/or share feedback on the draft materials at the following hybrid in-person and virtual meetings.
Translation Services Available
Translation services were available for the above listed public meetings through the Wordly app upon request. Community members were instructed to contact the City Clerk's Office at least 24 hours before the start of the meeting to request translation services. The City Clerk's Office may be contact at city.clerk@paloalto.gov or (650) 329-2571. View this page or other relevant information in other languages online by clicking the green button in the top right hand corner of the City's website.
Other Helpful Links
City Housing
Sign up for the City's Housing Newsletter