(1) The department must work with the designated agencies to identify, catalog, and recommend best use of under-utilized, state-owned land and property suitable for the development of affordable housing for very low-income, low-income or moderate-income households. The designated agencies must provide an inventory of real property that is owned or administered by each agency and is vacant or available for lease or sale. The department must work with the designated agencies to include in the inventories a consolidated list of any property transactions executed by the agencies under the authority of RCW 39.33.015, including the property appraisal, the terms and conditions of sale, lease, or transfer, the value of the public benefit, and the impact of transaction to the agency. The inventories with revisions must be provided to the department by November 1st of each year.

(2) The department must consolidate inventories into two groups: Properties suitable for consideration in affordable housing development; and properties not suitable for consideration in affordable housing development. In making this determination, the department must use industry accepted standards such as: Location, approximate lot size, current land use designation, and current zoning classification of the property. The department shall provide a recommendation, based on this grouping, to the office of financial management and appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the legislature by December 1st of each year.

(3) Upon written request, the department shall provide a copy of the inventory of state-owned and publicly owned lands and buildings to parties interested in developing the sites for affordable housing.

(4) As used in this section:

(a) “Affordable housing” means residential housing that is rented or owned by a person who qualifies as a very low-income, low-income, or moderate-income household or who is from a special needs population, and whose monthly housing costs, including utilities other than telephone, do not exceed thirty percent of the household’s monthly income.

(b) “Very low-income household” means a single person, family, or unrelated persons living together whose income is at or below fifty percent of the median income, adjusted for household size, for the county where the affordable housing is located.

(c) “Low-income household” means a single person, family, or unrelated persons living together whose income is more than fifty percent but is at or below eighty percent of the median income where the affordable housing is located.

(d) “Moderate-income household” means a single person, family, or unrelated persons living together whose income is more than eighty percent but is at or below one hundred fifteen percent of the median income where the affordable housing is located.

(e) “Affordable housing development” means state-owned real property appropriate for sale, transfer, or lease to an affordable housing developer capable of:

(i) Receiving the property within one hundred eighty days; and

(ii) Creating affordable housing units for occupancy within thirty-six months from the time of transfer.

(f) “Designated agencies” means the Washington state patrol, the state parks and recreation commission, and the departments of natural resources, social and health services, corrections, and enterprise services.

Finding—1993 c 461: “(1) The legislature finds that:

(a) The lack of affordable housing for very low-income, low-income, or moderate-income households and special needs populations is intensified by the rising cost of land and construction; and

(b) There are publicly owned land and buildings which may be suitable to be marketed, sold, leased, or exchanged for the development of affordable housing.

(2) The legislature declares that the purpose of this act is to:

(a) Provide for an analysis of the inventory of state-owned lands and buildings prepared by the departments of natural resources, transportation, corrections, and *general administration;

(b) Identify other publicly owned land and buildings that may be suitable for the development of affordable housing for very-low income, low-income, or moderate-income households and special needs populations;

(c) Provide a central location of inventories of state and publicly owned land and buildings that may be suitable to be marketed, sold, leased, or exchanged for the development of affordable housing; and

(d) Encourage an effective use of publicly owned surplus and underutilized land and buildings suitable for the development of affordable housing for very low-income, low-income, or moderate-income households and special needs populations.” [ 1993 c 461 § 1.]

*Reviser’s note: The “department of general administration” was renamed the “department of enterprise services” by 2011 1st sp.s. c 43 § 107.

Legislative finding and purpose—1990 c 253: See note following RCW 43.70.340.