California Construction News staff writer
Six underutilized state-owned properties will be converted into at least 843 housing units, a mix of affordable and market-rate homes, officials announced.
“This streamlined process reflects our commitment to making state-owned land readily accessible for affordable housing development,” said HCD Director Gustavo Velasquez. “By allowing for continuous proposal submissions, we are creating more opportunities for innovation and speed in addressing California’s decades-old crisis of housing affordability and homelessness.”
The projects are part of the state’s ongoing effort to repurpose excess properties for housing, a process designed to speed up approvals and development. The sites include former Department of State Hospitals facilities in Atascadero and Napa, Department of Motor Vehicles offices in Fontana and Stockton, and two Department of General Services properties in San Bernardino and Stockton.
Planned developments:
- DSH Atascadero – 87 affordable units, 1 market-rate unit
- DSH Napa – 183 affordable units, 2 market-rate units
- DMV Fontana – 127 affordable large-family units, 1 market-rate unit
- DGS San Bernardino – 203 affordable units, 2 market-rate units
- DMV Stockton – 108 affordable units, 2 market-rate units
- DGS Stockton – 132 affordable units, 2 market-rate units
The program aims to streamline the process for converting state land to housing. Developers can submit proposals on a continuous basis, and the approval process can take less than five months.
“The Excess Sites program represents a collaborative approach to addressing housing shortages,” said Tomiquia Moss, secretary of the California Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency. “By making the process more efficient, we’re delivering more affordable housing, faster.”
Officials say the initiative is intended to help address California’s long-standing housing affordability and homelessness challenges. DGS Director Ana M. Lasso noted that the program seeks to build efficiencies that could be applied statewide, while HCD Director Gustavo Velasquez emphasized the focus on innovation and speed in addressing the housing crisis.
