Bill > SB502

This bill authorizes local education agencies (schools or school districts) to submit their available land to the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) for evaluation as potential affordable housing sites. Under the proposed legislation, HCD, in consultation with the Department of General Services (DGS), will review the submitted land and determine its suitability for affordable housing development using established state criteria. Any land deemed suitable would be added to a public digital inventory and shared with housing sponsors interested in developing affordable housing. A key provision requires that any affordable housing built on these education agency-owned lands must give school district employees and local residents a right of first refusal to occupy the housing, with school employees receiving priority. Additionally, the bill modifies funding allocations from the Building Homes and Jobs Trust Fund, redirecting 20% of deposited funds to either affordable owner-occupied workforce housing or housing built by local educational agencies for low to moderate-income workers. The bill also creates a new 5% allocation for a zero-interest revolving loan fund to help local education agencies cover development and predevelopment costs for workforce housing projects, while slightly reducing the continuous appropriation to the California Housing Finance Agency from 15% to 10% of fund deposits.

Budget and Finance, Education, Housing and Urban Affairs

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billStatusClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB502