Plans to build affordable housing on surplus state land are moving forward in California.
Officials have selected developer Visionary to build Stockton's first modular multifamily housing project on state property. The project will bring nearly 100 LEED-certified, 100 percent restricted affordable housing units to the city in two interconnected buildings. The one-, two-, and three-bedroom units will feature efficient electric appliances, net-zero off the grid technology, smart home artificial intelligence technology, rooftop gardens, and solar photovoltaic systems.
"To address the housing affordability crisis, we need to use every tool in the toolbox and that includes building affordable units on excess state-owned land," said Gov. Gavin Newsom. "But we can't realize this vision alone. We're working alongside local leaders who are stepping up in their communities to tackle the housing shortage head on."
In another move, the state also began the process of soliciting a developer for a project on state-owned land in South Lake Tahoe.
The site is expected to result in approximately 100 units, with an emphasis on workforce housing. Developer responses are due Feb. 21, and developers will be selected in June 2020.
Following the Governor's Executive Order in January 2019, excess state properties were identified in an interactive map released by the Department of General Services and screened to determine which sites would be potentially suitable for affordable housing development. Developing entities will receive a long-term ground lease from the state and will build, own and manage the housing they develop, subject to oversight from the state.
