The California Department of Housing and Community Development
(HCD) is requesting public comment on the new release of the
Draft Updated Surplus Land Act Guidelines
HCD will host a webinar of March 6 to discuss content of these
draft guidelines and receive public comment.
HCD’s initial Surplus Land Act Guidelines were adopted in April
2021. Since then, HCD and its many local partners have identified
areas of the Guidelines that need revision and/or additional
clarity. In addition, the California State Legislature has passed
several bills that have amended the Surplus Land Act, including
bills passed just last year. The need for additional clarity
coupled with changes to the law has led HCD to initiate its first
revisions to the Surplus Land Act Guidelines.
To better inform that process, HCD engaged in a series of
broad-based, regionally diverse Listening Sessions with local
partners and housing organizations. The goal was to collect
firsthand feedback from those entities that were on the ground
navigating and implementing this new law. HCD hosted more than 20
Listening Sessions that included representatives from cities,
counties, special interest districts, law firms, housing
advocates and housing developers. Those Listening Sessions
resulted in over 50 suggested changes to the Guidelines
