Surplus state real property: affordable housing and housing for formerly incarcerated individuals.

Existing law authorizes the Department of General Services to dispose of surplus state real property, as defined, 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. Existing law requires the department to first offer surplus state real property to a local agency, as defined, and then to nonprofit affordable housing sponsors, as defined, prior to being offered for sale to private entities or individuals. Existing law requires a local agency or nonprofit affordable housing sponsor to satisfy certain requirements to be considered as a potential priority buyer of the surplus state real property, including that the local agency or nonprofit affordable housing sponsor demonstrate, to the satisfaction of the department, that the surplus state real property, or portion of that surplus state real property, is to be used by the local agency or nonprofit affordable housing sponsor for open space, public parks, affordable housing projects, or development of local government-owned facilities. Existing law authorizes the department to sell surplus state real property, or a portion of surplus state real property, to a local agency, or to a nonprofit affordable housing sponsor if no local agency is interested in the surplus state real property, for affordable housing projects at a sales price less than fair market value if the department determines that such a discount will enable the provision of housing for persons and families of low or moderate income. This bill would additionally authorize a local agency or nonprofit affordable housing sponsor to be considered as a potential priority buyer of surplus state real property upon demonstration that the property is to be used by the agency or sponsor for housing for formerly incarcerated individuals, subject to the same provisions described above, as specified. 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 finds that the project will not have that effect. CEQA also requires a lead agency to prepare a mitigated negative declaration for a project that may have a significant effect on the environment if revisions in the project would avoid or mitigate that effect and there is no substantial evidence that the project, as revised, would have a significant effect on the environment. CEQA does not apply to the approval of ministerial projects. This bill would provide that development of surplus state real property by a local agency or nonprofit affordable housing sponsor for an affordable housing project is by right, making the development ministerial in nature and exempt from CEQA requirements.