State awards Indio pro-housing designation, paving the way for future benefits

*The Arroyo Crossing apartments on Jefferson Street feature 400 units that are considered affordable housing.*

The city of Indio earned the Pro-Housing Designation from the California Department of Housing and Community Development, becoming the first city in the Coachella Valley and only the third in Riverside County to achieve this recognition.

The designation acknowledges jurisdictions that exceed state housing law requirements to accelerate housing production and create equitable communities. With this status, Indio gains priority access to state funding programs and resources designed to speed affordable housing development.

Local governments with this designation can apply for funds from a special state program and also get priority processing when applying for other grants or funds.

Indio earned points in categories including favorable zoning and land use, acceleration of housing production timeframes, reduction of construction and development costs, and providing financial subsidies.

The achievement comes as the Coachella Valley faces significant housing affordability challenges. According to data from Lift to Rise, a regional nonprofit focused on affordable housing, 56% of the valley’s renter households are rent-burdened, paying more than 30% of their income on housing costs.

The designation positions Indio to better access resources as the region works toward creating 10,000 new affordable housing units by 2028. Lift to Rise reports more than 7,200 affordable housing units are currently in the development pipeline across 94 projects throughout the Coachella Valley, representing more than $3.5 billion in total development costs.