Senate Bill No. by Senator Duplessis aims to facilitate the transfer of surplus immovable property for the purpose of developing affordable housing in Louisiana. The bill amends existing law by establishing definitions for terms such as "affordable housing," "affordable housing entity," and "deeply affordable housing," among others. It mandates the Louisiana Housing Corporation to maintain an updated inventory of surplus state immovable property, which will be publicly available on its website. The bill also outlines a process for affordable housing entities to submit proposals for the development of affordable housing on these parcels, which will be evaluated based on specific criteria, including the inclusion of permanent supportive housing and the proportion of deeply affordable units.

Additionally, the bill modifies the existing requirements for reporting and approval processes related to the disposition of nonessential property. It removes the need for legislative committee approval before implementing recommendations for property use and instead requires the Louisiana Housing Corporation to decide within 90 days whether to retain the property for affordable housing development. If the property is not retained, the division will proceed with its recommendations for best use. The bill also stipulates that the Louisiana Housing Corporation must report annually to the legislature and the governor on the status of transferred properties and the number of affordable housing units proposed and completed. The provisions of this bill are set to take effect on July 1, 2026.

Statutes affected:
SB301 Original: 41:140(B)