Lands And Housing

[Mack Mosely]

TheColorado Department of Personnel & Administration (DPA) produces and maintains an inventory of State-owned land and buildings to promote affordable housing, child care, public schools, residential mental and behavioral health care, and renewable energy development. To find out more, use the links below.

In 2019, the Colorado Legislature passed and the Governor signed House Bill 19-1319 requiring each state agency and state institution of higher education to submit a list of all non-developed land owned by or under control of the agency or institution. The purpose of this inventory is to identify land that could potentially be developed for affordable housing for low- and moderate-income households, either on a for-sale or rental basis.

The report supporting document linked below includes all of the land reported by state agencies and state institutes of higher education. Several agencies and institutes of higher education reported that they do not own or control any non-developed land. The report includes a short description and whether or not the property is for sale. In some cases, the report references photos, which can be requested from the Capital Development Committee at C...@state.co.us.

In the last few months, the Department of Natural Resources has worked with local governments in Kitsap, Pierce and other counties to transfer property surrounded by development to them to use for affordable housing or other development.

Generally, when a parcel is transferred, the department uses the money it receives to purchase other land that it can use to generate revenue. That income flows from the state to schools and counties, Ocker explained.

In an attempt to keep certain property affordable, the department wants Gov. Jay Inslee and the Legislature to approve $3 million over the next two years for a pilot project to convert some of their land into developer-ready lots that can be used for affordable housing.

That money would go toward building infrastructure, such as roads and sewer, power and water connections, to make the lots more attractive and less expensive to develop. According to a budget request to the governor, the department is not eligible to apply for grants or financing that could help pay for these projects. Instead, it must rely on state funds to help prepare its land.

The Bothell tract that the department is looking to build infrastructure on is near a larger piece of DNR-owned property that is forested and used for outdoor recreation by area residents. That 30-acre plot is zoned as forest land and locals want to keep it preserved that way, rather than rezoning it for development.

With a recent transaction in Kitsap County, where the state sold its land to the county, the community was mostly supportive, according to the department. That deal involves plans to build affordable housing. However, a potential sale of the same property to a private company in 2019 sparked pushback from residents.

If the Bothell pilot is successful, the department has identified seven other sites as targets for similar projects, including in Battleground, Fircrest, Lacey and Spokane. Combined, the parcels at these locations are more than 750 acres.

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The rezoning process also increases the risk and uncertainty for housing, since such applications are subject to an unlimited number of appeals and lawsuits from neighbors who may oppose housing on the site. This risk and uncertainty is a major driver of skyrocketing housing costs for all Californians.

Any housing built under SB 4 must be deed-restricted affordable for a minimum of 55 years for rental properties, and 45 years for homes offered for ownership. Density and height restrictions must align with appropriate standards for affordable housing under existing housing element law.

Co-sponsors: Non-Profit Housing Association of Northern California (NPH), Southern California Association of Non-Profit Housing (SCANPH), Jewish Public Affairs Committee of California (JPAC), California Conference of Carpenters, Inner City Law Center

The Programs to Accelerate Transformative Housing (PATH) in the REAP 2.0 Program Framework builds on concepts put forward in the Housing Supportive Infrastructure Key Connection in Connect SoCal 2020, as well as current work funded through the REAP 1.0 program, the Local Early Action Planning Grant Program and Senate Bill 2.

As envisioned, the PATH program will support transformative and significant beneficial actions accelerating infill development that facilitates housing supply, choice and affordability; affirmatively furthering fair housing; and reducing vehicle miles traveled through a Notice of Funds Available and two pilot programs designed to bring housing production to scale across the Southern California region to meet the 6th Cycle Regional Housing Needs Assessment. The three PATH programs are:

On April 28, 2023, SCAG hosted the RUSH Industry Forum, in partnership with PlaceWorks and the Urban Land Institute of Los Angeles. The RUSH Industry Forum brought together thought leaders from Southern California and across the country for recommendations to implement the basic utility infrastructure needed for housing: water, wastewater, stormwater management and electricity.

The Regional Early Action Planning (REAP) 2.0 Call for Applications for the Notice of Funds Available for Lasting Affordability Program was a competitive Call for Applications, with an estimated budget of $45 million available.

The Regional Early Action Planning (REAP) 2.0 Call for Applications for the Housing Infill on Public and Private Lands (HIPP) Pilot Program was a competitive Call for Applications, with an estimated budget of $8 million available through REAP 2.0.

The Colorado Department of Local Affairs, Division of Local Government (DOLA) supports efforts by local governments to adopt land use and other strategies to increase opportunity for affordable and attainable housing development. A significant barrier to redevelopment is the cost to upgrade and upsize or otherwise provide needed infrastructure to incentivize affordable and attainable housing development. While these project types are already eligible under Energy & Mineral Impact Assistance (EIAF) program guidelines, this initiative helps address the significant demand for local government infrastructure to support these projects.

The purpose of the Energy and Mineral Impact Assistance Program is to assist political subdivisions that are socially and/or economically impacted by the development, processing, or energy conversion of minerals and mineral fuels.

The high cost of land poses a significant barrier to producing affordable housing. Land acquisition accounts for 15 percent of total development costs, with some local estimates as high as 35 percent (PDF). Housing is expensive to construct and maintain, so every dollar saved on land or other costs helps affordable developments pencil out. Leveraging public land for affordable housing allows local jurisdictions to make a substantial contribution to more affordable housing without imposing (PDF) additional taxes or fees on residents.

In support of this resolution, Enterprise Community Partners and Futurewise created a new tool to map publicly owned parcels in King County. The map allows users to filter publicly owned parcels to find ones that are suitable for housing development. These filters include proximity to transit and child care facilities, as well as funding eligibility (e.g., Opportunity Zones) and site characteristics.

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