California’s most populous county has been officially recognized by the state and Governor Gavin Newsom as a “pro-housing” community.

On Friday, Newsom announced that ten communities had received the honor, including all of Los Angeles County.

The designation is awarded to communities that are making a concerted effort to build more housing to help address the state’s critical need by reducing bureaucracy, reducing construction and development costs, and creating “growth mindset” housing policies. officials said.

In addition to Los Angeles County, the cities of Berkeley, Brea, Crescent City, Fairfield, Pinole, Rancho Cucamonga, Richmond, South Lake Tahoe and West Hollywood received the pro-housing label.

The new additions to the Prohousing Designation Program bring their total to 47.

“California is making progress – But we can do better. At a time when the state faces a housing crisis, all local jurisdictions should step forward to earn this distinction,” Newsom said in a news release.

While the “pro-housing” designation may seem like a misnomer in a state with the highest cost of living in the country and the worst housing shortage, the distinction carries some weight that aims to address that very problem.

Communities that are considered pro-housing receive exclusive access to certain grants, as well as other incentives and resources for competitive housing, community development, and infrastructure financing programs administered by the state. The state says these additional resources will help “step up” construction efforts.

Gustavo Velasquez, director of the California Department of Housing and Community Development, said earning the pro-housing designation requires a “strong, demonstrated commitment to breaking down barriers and working to create more housing, faster.”

Earlier this year, Santa Monica, San Luis Obispo and Tulare County were among seven communities that received the pro-housing designation.

Fresno, Long Beach, the city of Los Angeles, Riverside, the city and county of San Diego, and the city and county of Sacramento are among the largest and most populous communities the state considers pro-housing.

Currently, California has a state goal of building 2.5 million new homes by 2030. At least 1 million of those homes must be specifically designated as “affordable.”

“This critical goal can only be achieved if local governments actively work to implement state housing laws and follow best practices that go beyond minimum requirements,” the Governor’s Office said.

For more information about the program and the full list of pro-housing communities, click here.