There have been many housing bills passed in the last few years by our California State Legislature and signed into law by Governor Brown. There are different puzzle pieces scattered among these bills which I believe pieced together creates this scenario followed by the government code.
- Cities and municipalities must prioritize the sale or lease of surplus government owned properties to a housing sponsor for the purpose of developing low- and moderate-income housing. The law even allows these properties to be sold at below market value if they are near transit.
- A housing development company will buy or lease and propose building a housing development. They may ask for input from the surrounding community and propose a plan for a project of reasonable density for the area.
- The city or municipality must change zoning to accommodate this housing development.
- The city or municipality must prepare a yearly housing report (per SB 35 passed in 2017) which includes a listing of surplus city owned properties and properties which have been sold to increase housing. One of the categories to list on this report is “Residentially zoned sites that are capable of being developed at a higher density, including the airspace above sites owned or leased by a city, county, or city and county.” This report needs to be completed as of the end of the year. The first year the report will be completed will be as of December 31, 2018.
- Per several bills passed in 2017, non-profit housing groups have been empowered to sue a city or municipality if a housing development is proposed to be built at a lower than maximum density. These properties will be showcased for them on the yearly housing report. The legal penalties are onerous, the city or municipality must pay all court costs, and the city or municipality will lose the case. The city or municipality will cave.
- The housing development company will build the development to the highest possible density. It will be a win win for the housing development company because the profits to be made on this endeavor are very high (there are multiple taxpayer funded subsidies available that the company can collect) and they can say they didn’t intend to build such a large building but were forced to build it.
The following Government Code is already in place.
Bold italics are mine.
11011.1.
(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, except Article 8.5 (commencing with Section 54235) of Chapter 5 of Part 1 of Division 2 of Title 5, the disposal of surplus state real property by the Department of General Services shall be subject to the requirements of this section. For purposes of this section, “surplus state real property” means real property declared surplus by the Legislature and directed to be disposed of by the Department of General Services, including any real property previously declared surplus by the Legislature but not yet disposed of by the Department of General Services prior to the enactment of this section.
(b) (1) The department may dispose of surplus state real property by sale, lease, exchange, a sale combined with an exchange, or other manner of disposition of property, as authorized by the Legislature, upon any terms and conditions and subject to any reservations and exceptions the department deems to be in the best interests of the state.
(2) (A) The Legislature finds and declares that the provision of decent housing for all Californians is a state goal of the highest priority. The disposal of surplus state real property is a direct and substantial public purpose of statewide concern and will serve an important public purpose, including mitigating the environmental effects of state activities. Therefore, it is the intent of the Legislature that priority be given, as specified in this section, to the disposal of surplus state real property to housing for persons and families of low or moderate income, where land is suitable for housing and there is a need for housing in the community.
(B) Surplus state real property that has been determined by the department not to be needed by any state agency shall be offered to any local agency, as defined in subdivision (a) of Section 54221, and then to nonprofit affordable housing sponsors, prior to being offered for sale to private entities or individuals. As used in this subdivision, “nonprofit affordable housing sponsor” means any of the following:
(i) A nonprofit corporation incorporated pursuant to Division 2 (commencing with Section 5000) of Title 1 of the Corporations Code.
(ii) A cooperative housing corporation which is a stock cooperative, as defined by Section 11003.2 of the Business and Professions Code.
(iii) A limited-dividend housing corporation.
54220.
(c) … The sale or lease of surplus land at less than fair market value to facilitate the creation of affordable housing near transit is consistent with goals and objectives to achieve optimal transportation use. The Legislature also notes that the Federal Transit Administration gives priority for funding of rail transit proposals to areas that are implementing higher-density, mixed-use, and affordable development near major transit stations.
(a) As used in this article, the term “local agency” means every city, whether organized under general law or by charter, county, city and county, and district, including school districts of any kind or class, empowered to acquire and hold real property.
(b) As used in this article, the term “surplus land” means land owned by any local agency, that is determined to be no longer necessary for the agency’s use, except property being held by the agency for the purpose of exchange.
54222.
Any local agency disposing of surplus land shall send, prior to disposing of that property, a written offer to sell or lease the property as follows:
- A written offer to sell or lease for the purpose of developing low- and moderate-income housing shall be sent to any local public entity, as defined in Section 50079 of the Health and Safety Code, within whose jurisdiction the surplus land is located. Housing sponsors, as defined by Section 50074 of the Health and Safety Code, shall be sent, upon written request, a written offer to sell or lease surplus land for the purpose of developing low- and moderate-income housing. All notices shall be sent by first-class mail and shall include the location and a description of the property. With respect to any offer to purchase or lease pursuant to this subdivision, priority shall be given to development of the land to provide affordable housing for lower income elderly or disabled persons or households, and other lower income households.
54224.
Nothing in this article shall preclude a local agency, housing authority, or redevelopment agency which purchases land from a disposing agency pursuant to this article from reconveying the land to a nonprofit or for-profit housing developer for development of low- and moderate-income housing as authorized under other provisions of law.
54226.
This article shall not be interpreted to limit the power of any local agency to sell or lease surplus land at fair market value or at less than fair market value, and any such sale or lease at or less than fair market value consistent with this article shall not be construed as inconsistent with an agency’s purpose. No provision of this article shall be applied when it conflicts with any other provision of statutory law.
54227.
(a) In the event that any local agency disposing of surplus land receives offers for the purchase or lease of that land from more than one of the entities to which notice and an opportunity to purchase or lease shall be given pursuant to this article, the local agency shall give first priority to the entity that agrees to use the site for housing that meets the requirements of Section 54222.5. If the local agency receives offers from more than one entity that agrees to meet the requirements of Section 54222.5, then the local agency shall give priority to the entity that proposes to provide the greatest number of units that meet the requirements of Section 54222.5 at the deepest level of affordability.
(b) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), first priority shall be given to an entity that agrees to use the site for park or recreational purposes if the land being offered is already being used and will continue to be used for park or recreational purposes, or if the land is designated for park and recreational use in the local general plan and will be developed for that purpose.
54230.
The board of supervisors of any county may establish a central inventory of all surplus governmental property located in such county.
From AB 2065, as amended, Ting. Local agencies: surplus land. Pending bill 2018
(1) Existing law prescribes requirements for the disposal of surplus land by a local agency. Existing law defines “local agency” for these purposes as every city, county, city and county, and district, including school districts of any kind or class, empowered to acquire and hold real property. Existing law defines “surplus land” for these purposes as land owned by any local agency that is determined to be no longer necessary for the agency’s use, except property being held by the agency for the purpose of exchange.
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(2) Existing law requires a local agency disposing of surplus land to send, prior to disposing of that property, a written offer to sell or lease the property to specified entities. Existing law requires that a local agency, upon a written request, send a written offer to sell or lease surplus land to a housing sponsor, as defined, for the purpose of developing low- and moderate-income housing. Existing law also requires the local agency to send a written offer to sell or lease surplus land for the purpose of developing property located within an infill opportunity zone, designated as provided, to, among others, a community redevelopment agency.
65589.5
(h) The following definitions apply for the purposes of this section:
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(5) “Disapprove the housing development project” includes any instance in which a local agency does either of the following:
(A) Votes on a proposed housing development project application and the application is disapproved, including any required land use approvals or entitlements necessary for the issuance of a building permit.
(i) If any city, county, or city and county denies approval or imposes conditions, including design changes, lower density, or a reduction of the percentage of a lot that may be occupied by a building or structure under the applicable planning and zoning in force at the time the application is deemed complete pursuant to Section 65943, that have a substantial adverse effect on the viability or affordability of a housing development for very low, low-, or moderate-income households, and the denial of the development or the imposition of conditions on the development is the subject of a court action which challenges the denial or the imposition of conditions, then the burden of proof shall be on the local legislative body to show that its decision is consistent with the findings as described in subdivision (d) and that the findings are supported by a preponderance of the evidence in the record. For purposes of this section, “lower density” includes any conditions that have the same effect or impact on the ability of the project to provide housing.
(j) (1) When a proposed housing development project complies with applicable, objective general plan, zoning, and subdivision standards and criteria, including design review standards, in effect at the time that the housing development project’s application is determined to be complete, but the local agency proposes to disapprove the project or to impose a condition that the project be developed at a lower density, the local agency shall base its decision regarding the proposed housing development project upon written findings supported by a preponderance of the evidence on the record that both of the following conditions exist:
(A) The housing development project would have a specific, adverse impact upon the public health or safety unless the project is disapproved or approved upon the condition that the project be developed at a lower density. As used in this paragraph, a “specific, adverse impact” means a significant, quantifiable, direct, and unavoidable impact, based on objective, identified written public health or safety standards, policies, or conditions as they existed on the date the application was deemed complete.
(B) There is no feasible method to satisfactorily mitigate or avoid the adverse impact identified pursuant to paragraph (1), other than the disapproval of the housing development project or the approval of the project upon the condition that it be developed at a lower density.
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(3) For purposes of this section, the receipt of a density bonus pursuant to Section 65915 shall not constitute a valid basis on which to find a proposed housing development project is inconsistent, not in compliance, or not in conformity, with an applicable plan, program, policy, ordinance, standard, requirement, or other similar provision specified in this subdivision.
(4) For purposes of this section, “lower density” includes any conditions that have the same effect or impact on the ability of the project to provide housing.
(k) (1) (A) The applicant, a person who would be eligible to apply for residency in the development or emergency shelter, or a housing organization may bring an action to enforce this section. If, in any action brought to enforce this section, a court finds that either (i) the local agency, in violation of subdivision (d), disapproved a housing development project or conditioned its approval in a manner rendering it infeasible for the development of an emergency shelter, or housing for very low, low-, or moderate-income households, including farmworker housing, without making the findings required by this section or without making findings supported by a preponderance of the evidence, or (ii) the local agency, in violation of subdivision (j), disapproved a housing development project complying with applicable, objective general plan and zoning standards and criteria, or imposed a condition that the project be developed at a lower density, without making the findings required by this section or without making findings supported by a preponderance of the evidence, the court shall issue an order or judgment compelling compliance with this section within 60 days, including, but not limited to, an order that the local agency take action on the housing development project or emergency shelter. The court may issue an order or judgment directing the local agency to approve the housing development project or emergency shelter if the court finds that the local agency acted in bad faith when it disapproved or conditionally approved the housing development or emergency shelter in violation of this section. The court shall retain jurisdiction to ensure that its order or judgment is carried out and shall award reasonable attorney’s fees and costs of suit to the plaintiff or petitioner, except under extraordinary circumstances in which the court finds that awarding fees would not further the purposes of this section. For purposes of this section, “lower density” includes conditions that have the same effect or impact on the ability of the project to provide housing.
(B) (i) Upon a determination that the local agency has failed to comply with the order or judgment compelling compliance with this section within 60 days issued pursuant to subparagraph (A), the court shall impose fines on a local agency that has violated this section and require the local agency to deposit any fine levied pursuant to this subdivision into a local housing trust fund. The local agency may elect to instead deposit the fine into the Building Homes and Jobs Fund, if Senate Bill 2 of the 2017–18 Regular Session is enacted, or otherwise in the Housing Rehabilitation Loan Fund. The fine shall be in a minimum amount of ten thousand dollars ($10,000) per housing unit in the housing development project on the date the application was deemed complete pursuant to Section 65943. In determining the amount of fine to impose, the court shall consider the local agency’s progress in attaining its target allocation of the regional housing need pursuant to Section 65584 and any prior violations of this section. Fines shall not be paid out of funds already dedicated to affordable housing, including, but not limited to, Low and Moderate Income Housing Asset Funds, funds dedicated to housing for very low, low-, and moderate-income households, and federal HOME Investment Partnerships Program and Community Development Block Grant Program funds. The local agency shall commit and expend the money in the local housing trust fund within five years for the sole purpose of financing newly constructed housing units affordable to extremely low, very low, or low-income households. After five years, if the funds have not been expended, the money shall revert to the state and be deposited in the Building Homes and Jobs Fund, if Senate Bill 2 of the 2017–18 Regular Session is enacted, or otherwise in the Housing Rehabilitation Loan Fund, for the sole purpose of financing newly constructed housing units affordable to extremely low, very low, or low-income households.
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(2) For purposes of this subdivision, “housing organization” means a trade or industry group whose local members are primarily engaged in the construction or management of housing units or a nonprofit organization whose mission includes providing or advocating for increased access to housing for low-income households and have filed written or oral comments with the local agency prior to action on the housing development project. A housing organization may only file an action pursuant to this section to challenge the disapproval of a housing development by a local agency. A housing organization shall be entitled to reasonable attorney’s fees and costs if it is the prevailing party in an action to enforce this section.
65400.
- After the legislative body has adopted all or part of a general plan, the planning agency shall do both of the following:
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(2) Provide by April 1 of each year an annual report to the legislative body, the Office of Planning and Research, and the Department of Housing and Community Development that includes all of the following:
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(B) The progress in meeting its share of regional housing needs determined pursuant to Section 65584 and local efforts to remove governmental constraints to the maintenance, improvement, and development of housing pursuant to paragraph (3) of subdivision (c) of Section 65583.
(C) The number of housing development applications received in the prior year.
(D) The number of units included in all development applications in the prior year.
(E) The number of units approved and disapproved in the prior year.
(G) A listing of sites rezoned to accommodate that portion of the city’s or county’s share of the regional housing need for each income level that could not be accommodated on sites identified in the inventory required by paragraph (1) of subdivision (c) of Section 65583 and Section 65584.09. The listing of sites shall also include any additional sites that may have been required to be identified by Section 65863.
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- The number of applications submitted pursuant to subdivision (a) of section 65913.4, the location and the total number of developments approved pursuant to subdivision (b) of section 65913.4, the total number of building permits issued pursuant to subdivision (b) of section 65913.4, the total number of units including both rental housing and for-sale housing by area median income category constructed using the process provided for in subdivision (b) of section 65913.4.
65583.2.
(a) A city’s or county’s inventory of land suitable for residential development pursuant to paragraph (3) of subdivision (a) of Section 65583 shall be used to identify sites that can be developed for housing within the planning period and that are sufficient to provide for the jurisdiction’s share of the regional housing need for all income levels pursuant to Section 65584. As used in this section, “land suitable for residential development” includes all of the sites that meet the standards set forth in subdivisions (c) and (g):
(1) Vacant sites zoned for residential use.
(2) Vacant sites zoned for nonresidential use that allows residential development.
(3) Residentially zoned sites that are capable of being developed at a higher density, including the airspace above sites owned or leased by a city, county, or city and county.
(4) Sites zoned for nonresidential use that can be redeveloped for residential use, and for which the housing element includes a program to rezone the site, as necessary, rezoned for, to permit residential use, including sites owned or leased by a city, county, or city and county.
65584.
(d) The regional housing needs allocation plan shall be consistent with all of the following objectives:
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(2) Promoting infill development and socioeconomic equity, the protection of environmental and agricultural resources, and the encouragement of efficient development patterns.
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(4) Allocating a lower proportion of housing need to an income category when a jurisdiction already has a disproportionately high share of households in that income category, as compared to the countywide distribution of households in that category from the most recent decennial United States census.