AB 2094: Social Housing Strategy and Implementation Program.
The bill establishes a surplus public land housing pilot program to increase the supply of affordable housing. The program requires the state to identify and prioritize surplus public land suitable for housing development and ensure that at least one housing pilot project is completed by 2030. Housing pilot projects must provide affordable housing to a mix of household income levels and preserve long-term affordability. The program allows for the development of housing directly or in partnership with local entities, nonprofits, or mission-driven private entities. The construction of housing pilot projects must meet prevailing wage requirements and use a skilled and trained workforce. The program also requires the submission of annual reports to the legislature and utilizes a combination of state and federal funds to implement the program.
| May. 14, 2026 | In committee: Held under submission. |
| May. 06, 2026 | In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file. |
| Apr. 23, 2026 | From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 9. Noes 3.) (April 22). Re-referred to Com. on APPR. |
| Apr. 23, 2026 | Coauthors revised. |
| Apr. 09, 2026 | In committee: Hearing postponed by committee. |
| Amended IN Assembly April 08, 2026 |
| Amended IN Assembly March 16, 2026 |
| Introduced by Assembly Member Harabedian |
February 18, 2026 |
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
This bill would require the department to establish and administer the Surplus Public Land Housing Pilot Program (program). The bill would set forth the purposes of the program, including to increase the supply of affordable housing. The bill would require the department to ensure that at least one housing pilot project on surplus public land is completed by January 1, 2030, and to identify and prioritize surplus public land suitable for housing pilot project development, as specified. The bill would define a “housing pilot project” as housing developed pursuant to the bill’s provisions that is owned by a local public entity, provides housing affordable to a mix of household income levels, and preserves long-term affordability. The bill would authorize the department to use surplus public land in collaboration with a local public entity, as described, and to develop housing, as specified, directly or in partnership with a local public entity, a nonprofit housing developer, or a mission-driven private entity. The bill would require the housing pilot project developed pursuant to the bill’s provisions to be, among other things, a use by right and ministerially approved if it meets local objective planning and zoning standards. The bill would require the construction of a housing pilot project to be subject to specified prevailing wage requirements, as specified, and to use a skilled and trained workforce, as described. The bill would require housing pilot project units to be eligible to be counted by a jurisdiction toward its share of the regional housing needs assessment, as specified. The bill would require the department, beginning January 1, 2031, and annually thereafter, until January 1, 2035, to submit a report to the Legislature, as described. The bill, upon appropriation by the Legislature, would authorize the department to utilize legislative appropriations, existing housing funds that may be used for a housing pilot project, local contributions, federal funds, and bond financing to implement the program.
Existing law, the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), requires a lead agency, as defined, to prepare, or cause to be prepared, and certify the completion of, an environmental impact report on a project that it proposes to carry out or approve that may have a significant effect on the environment, or to adopt a negative declaration if it determines that the project would not have that effect, as provided. CEQA does not apply to the approval of ministerial projects.
This bill would specify that the Surplus Public Land Housing Pilot Program created pursuant to its provisions does not alter the application of CEQA, but would further allow a housing pilot project that qualifies for existing statutory or categorical exemptions to rely upon those exemptions.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:SEC. 2.
Part 19 (commencing with Section 54915) is added to Division 31 of the Health and Safety Code, to read:PART 19. SURPLUS PUBLIC LAND HOUSING PILOT SOCIAL HOUSING STRATEGY AND IMPLEMENTATION PROGRAM
54915.
This part shall be known, and may be cited, as the54915.5.54916.
(4)“Local public entity” has the same meaning as defined in Section 50079.
(d)“Program” means the Surplus Public Land Housing Pilot Program established pursuant to this part.
(e)“Surplus public land” means real property determined to be surplus pursuant to the Surplus Land Act (Article 8 (commencing with Section 54220) of Chapter 5 of Part 1 of Division 2 of Title 5 of the Government Code) that is suitable for residential development.
(a)The department shall establish and administer the program.
(b)The purposes of the program are to do all of the following:
(1)Increase the supply of affordable housing.
(2)Demonstrate cost-effective public development models.
(3)Assist jurisdictions in meeting their regional housing needs.
(c)The department shall ensure that at least one housing pilot project on surplus public land is completed by January 1, 2030.
(a)The department shall identify and prioritize surplus public land suitable for housing pilot project development consistent with the requirements of this part and the purposes of the program.
(b)The department shall give priority to parcels that are any of the following:
(1)Vacant or underutilized.
(2)Located near public transit, employment centers, schools, hospitals, or grocery stores.
(3)Suitable for multifamily housing.
(4)Nominated by a local public entity.
(c)(1)The department may use surplus public land for purposes of the program in collaboration with local public entities.
(2)A local public entity is encouraged to coordinate with the department to make surplus public land available for purposes of the program.
54917.(a)The department may develop a housing pilot project pursuant to the program directly or in partnership with a local public entity, including a public housing authority, a nonprofit housing developer, or a mission-driven private entity.
(b)A housing pilot project developed pursuant to subdivision (a) shall comply with all of the following:
(1)Remain publicly owned for its useful life.
(2)Include units affordable to the household income levels.
(3)Permit the inclusion of units available for a mix of household income levels to support financial feasibility.
(4)Provide tenant protections consistent with state law.
(c)A housing pilot project may include community-serving commercial spaces and supportive services where feasible.
(a)A housing pilot project developed pursuant to this part shall be a use by right and ministerially approved if it meets local objective planning and zoning standards.
(b)A housing pilot project approved pursuant to subdivision (a) shall be exempt from discretionary review.
(c)This section shall not alter the application of the California Environmental Quality Act (Division 13 (commencing with Section 21000) of the Public Resources Code), but a housing pilot project that qualifies for existing statutory or categorical exemptions may rely upon those exemptions.
(a)Construction of a housing pilot project developed pursuant to this part shall be subject to the prevailing wage requirements in Article 2 (commencing with Section 1770) of Chapter 1 of Part 7 of Division 2 of the Labor Code.
(b)A housing pilot project shall utilize a skilled and trained workforce, as defined in Section 2601 of the Public Contract Code, for construction contracts exceeding thresholds established by the department.
Units in a housing pilot project developed under this part shall be eligible to be counted by a jurisdiction toward its share of the regional housing needs assessment consistent with the Housing Element Law (Article 10.6 (commencing with Section 65580) of Chapter 3 of Division 1 of Title 7 of the Government Code).
(a)Beginning January 1, 2031, and annually thereafter, the department shall submit a report to the Legislature that includes all of the following information:
(1)Parcels utilized.
(2)Units produced and affordability levels.
(3)Funding sources and development costs.
(4)Partnerships formed.
(5)Recommendations for program expansion or modification.
(b)(1)A report to be submitted pursuant to subdivision (a) shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.
(2)Pursuant to Section 10231.5 of the Government Code, this section is repealed on January 1, 2035.
54919.5.Upon appropriation by the Legislature, the department may utilize legislative appropriations, existing housing funds that may be used for a housing pilot project, local contributions, federal funds, and bond financing to implement the program.
54917.
(a) The department shall establish a dedicated social housing coordinator within the department to lead social housing strategy and implementation.54918.
(a) By January 1, 2028, the department shall submit a report to the Legislature with actionable recommendations based on the Social Housing Strategy and Implementation Program findings pursuant to Section 54917.