Cortese's Bill to Create California Surplus Land Unit Signed Into Law

A bill authored by California State Senator Dave Cortese (D-San Jose) was signed into law today at a News Conference hosted by Governor Newsom. A recording of today’s conference can be found at this link.

“California’s severe affordable housing crisis is ravaging local communities across the state. The pandemic has underscored the importance of safe and sustainable housing,” said Senator Cortese. “SB 791 will alleviate our incredibly high housing burdens in California by spurring the production of affordable housing to meet the incredibly high need that is currently going unmet.”

SB 791 – “Affordable Housing; Surplus Land Unit”: SB 791 will expedite the construction of affordable housing on local government surplus land through the creation of the California Surplus Land Unit within the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD).  This unit that will give consultative and technical assistance to local agencies seeking to increase housing production on their surplus land. By requiring HCD to submit an annual report that provides the number and location of housing units assisted by the unit and what funds were used to finance those units, this bill also includes crucial data collection components to help the Legislature understand how we can better augment the unit’s work to effectively promote affordable housing production.

Senator Cortese said the following about SB 791: “It is time for the state to take a more active role in assisting with affordable housing development as efficiently and effectively as possible. While Californians continue to struggle to find secure housing, suitable sites remain vacant across the state. SB 791 provides a practical solution by establishing a unit that will give consultative and technical assistance to local agencies seeking to increase their affordable housing stock.”

Learn more about SB 791 at this link.

Learn more about Senator Cortese’s other bills signed into law at this link.