Larry Klein
Mayor
Richard Mehlinger
Vice Mayor
Alysa Cisneros
Councilmember
Murali Srinivasan
Councilmember
Linda Sell
Councilmember
Charlsie Chang
Councilmember
Eileen Le
Councilmember
September 14, 2026
T
he Honorable Gavin Newsom
Governor of California
1021 O Street, Suite 9000
Sacramento, CA 95814
R
E: Senate Bill 1216 (Cabaldon): Housing Leadership Designation Program –
REQUEST FOR SIGNATURE
D
ear Governor Newsom,
O
n behalf of the City of Sunnyvale, we respectfully request that you sign SB 1216 into law. SB 1216 establishes the Housing Leadership Designation Program (HLDP) to recognize and reward jurisdictions that demonstrate exceptional housing production outcomes.
California’s housing crisis demands not only strong policy frameworks, but measurable results. While existing programs such as the Prohousing Designation Program have helped encourage the adoption of prohousing policies, they do not directly assess whether those policies are translating into the production of housing at the scale required to meet our state’s needs. SB 1216 addresses this gap by shifting the focus from intentions to outcomes.
As a Prohousing- designated jurisdiction, the City of Sunnyvale has made significant efforts to increase housing production while advancing affordability and equity. We understand firsthand that achieving meaningful housing outcomes requires both strong policy commitments and the flexibility to adapt implementation strategies to local conditions. SB 1216 appropriately recognizes that jurisdictions demonstrating sustained housing production, particularly in high- cost regions, should be afforded greater regulatory flexibility to continue delivering results.
Importantly, the HLDP establishes core housing production requirements to reward high- performing jurisdictions with greater flexibility on certain state mandates, such as parking requirements, density bonus incentives, and implementation timelines, to bet ter align with local needs. This balance of accountability and flexibility will help accelerate housing production while preserving important state objectives.
Attachment 6
The Honorable Gavin Newsom, Governor
September 14, 2026
As identified in City Council Legislative Advocacy Position 5(D), Sunnyvale strongly supports policies that balance the need for increased housing production with the preservation of local land use authority to ensure that cities can effectively accommodate their share of the regional housing need. By rewarding jurisdictions that have consistently high housing production with additional local land use authority, the HLDP program will help achieve this delicate balance.
Sunnyvale has a strong history of proactive housing and planning policies and is committed to providing adequate sites to meet our share of the regional housing need.
Although private developers are ultimately responsible for building housing, the HLDP program provides a pathway for jurisdictions like Sunnyvale to maintain local control over policies related to SB 9 and density bonus incentives. This flexibility will help ensure that our neighborhoods contain high- quality housing and amenities, while still meeting the housing needs of our community.
For these reasons, the City of Sunnyvale respectfully urges you to sign SB 1216 into law.
Thank you for your consideration of the City of Sunnyvale's position on this important legislation. Please do not hesitate to contact me or Trudi Ryan, Community Development Director at [email protected] if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Larry Klein
Mayor
Cc: Assembly Member Patrick Ahrens
City Council
Tim Kirby, City Manager
Sarah Johnson-Rios, Assistant City Manager
Connie Verceles, Assistant City Manager
Trudi Ryan, Director of Community Development
Attachment 6