Governor Newsom expands first-in-the-nation program to transform underutilized state land into affordable housing

February 25, 2025

What you need to know: Governor Newsom is expanding access to the state’s program to create new housing on underutilized state property by streamlining the effort. Today the Governor launched a revamped Excess Sites Program and web portal, an innovative initiative to release state land suitable and available for affordable housing simultaneously, making bidding and building faster.

SACRAMENTO — Governor Newsom today expanded access to California’s program to transform underutilized state land into new affordable housing by announcing a web portal to make it easier for developers to bid on the projects.  The revamped, streamlined Excess Sites Program aims to improve the speed and efficiency with which state land is leased for affordable housing.

“California is doing everything we can to give all Californians access to affordable housing as quickly as possible. Today we continue to advance our strategy of transforming underutilized state properties into thriving affordable living communities for Californians.”

Governor Gavin Newsom

The Department of General Services (DGS) and Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) are launching the newly revamped Excess Sites Program, the first housing initiative nationwide to release all state land identified as suitable and available for affordable housing development. 

This announcement aligns with the Governor’s 2019 executive order to help scale up California’s response to a housing crisis decades in the making. The order called on HCD and DGS to identify and prioritize excess state-owned property for affordable housing development. 

Since the executive order, HCD and DGS have assembled a statewide pipeline of nearly 4,300 housing units across 32 projects in various phases of development. The state estimates that the new sites being released have the capacity for at least 2,000 homes to be added as the sites are developed. 

“We’re harnessing technology and innovation to help accelerate the rate of affordable housing construction in the Golden State,” said Government Operations Agency Secretary Amy Tong. “We look forward to the proposals from creative and resourceful developers whose efforts will give more Californians a place to call home.”

“California is committed to continuing to invest in programs that encourage infill development, transforming existing buildings into homes for future generations of Californians,” said Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency Secretary Tomiquia Moss. “The Excess Sites program is a unique tool that allows us to re-envision underutilized state land to build affordable and healthier communities.”

The new improvements allow developers to review all sites on the State Excess Sites map simultaneously and submit proposals continuously until an awardable submission is received and a final deadline is set for that specific site.

“Today, we are taking significant steps to enhance the management of state-owned land,” said DGS Director Ana M. Lasso. “The streamlined processes will help to ensure valuable resources are utilized effectively for growth and community development.”

“The Governor’s vision to develop state land for affordable housing—particularly in high-resource areas connecting low-income Californians to heightened opportunity—continues to strengthen communities,” said HCD Director Gustavo Velasquez. “HCD and DGS will continue to work in partnership to add efficiencies like those announced today and build on the program’s successes for the benefit of all Californians.”

Recent projects 

California has announced a number of recent projects throughout the state as part of its Excess Housing Site program including: 

• Sacramento, with the April 2023 opening of a 58-unit community that combines housing with commercial space that will house a job training center in partnership with the Sacramento Employment and Training Agency (SETA).
• Fresno County, with the Guardian Village development, a 48-unit project built on the former Reedley Armory at 601 East 11th Street in Fresno County. 
• South Lake Tahoe, with Sugar Pine Village in South Lake Tahoe, which will be the first of its kind as the largest affordable housing project in the history of South Lake Tahoe. The community opened 68 units to residents in late 2024, which will eventually grow into a 248-unit community. 

To learn more about the State Excess Sites map or the new submission process, please visit Executive Order N-06-19 Affordable Housing Development and/or register for a webinar by HCD and DGS.