SLO was named a ‘prohousing city’ — and now it has $750,000 to spend on affordable housing
The city of San Luis Obispo was awarded $750,000 from the California Department of Housing and Community Development’s Prohousing Incentive Program to fund more affordable housing projects in the area.
According to a news release from the city, the Prohousing Incentive Program award will be used to boost funding for projects by non-profit and public entity housing developers like Transitions-Mental Health Association, Smartshare Housing, Peoples Self-Help Housing and the Housing Authority of San Luis Obispo to build supportive housing or rental apartments for low and very low-income eligible households.
San Luis Obispo was named a “prohousing city” by the Department of Housing and Community Development Jan. 31 in recognition of its support for policies that try to make progress in improving affordability for its residents.
“The city of SLO recognizes the need to improve housing opportunities across the housing continuum to meet the Major City Goal for Housing and Homelessness and advance sustainability, equity and economic resiliency for our community,” San Luis Obispo Community Development Director Timmi Tway said in the release. “The Prohousing Incentive Program award will help fund critically needed housing opportunities that help prevent homelessness and provide access to below market rate and supportive housing.”
San Luis Obispo’s Regional Housing Needs Allocation calls for the construction of 3,354 new homes between 2020 and 2028.
A total of 50 California cities have met the state’s prohousing designation, according to the Department of Housing and Community Development.
San Luis Obispo was one of 19 California jurisdictions that received funding from a pool of more than $15 million as part of the second round of Prohousing Incentive Program funding Thursday.
“It is so encouraging to me to see 50 communities have put in the work to earn the title of ‘prohousing,’ and that many others are working to establish policies and practices that expedite the approval and creation of housing faster and at the adequate scale,” Department of Housing and Community Development director Gustavo Velasquez said in the release. “It will take the concerted effort of forward-thinking community leaders to address housing need at all incomes levels today and into the future.”
This story was originally published August 3, 2024 at 8:00 AM.
