ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT
MEETING DATE: April 9, 2025 AGENDA CATEGORY: Consent – Resolutions TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
FROM: Jennifer M. Byers, Economic and Community Development Director DATE: March 27, 2025
SUBJECT: Resolution Declaring the Property at 901 Union Avenue as Exempt Surplus Land to be used for permanent supportive housing for the Homekey+ Program (Ward 2)
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends adoption of the resolution and declaration of property at 901 Union Avenue as exempt surplus land.
BACKGROUND:
In April of 2024, the City of Bakersfield purchased the property at 901 Union Avenue (APN 009-502-10) previously known as Ramkabir Motel. In February of 2025, the City began work on a joint application for the Homekey+ Grant through the State of California’s Housing and Community Development Department. The proposed Homekey+ project will include the rehabilitation of the Ramkabir Motel into Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) with approximately 30 units, a community room and office space for service providers. The application is being developed jointly with the Community Action Partnership of Kern who will be the service provider for the project should it be awarded.
Pursuant to Government Code Section 54221, the property must be declared “surplus land” or “exempt surplus land” prior to taking any further action towards disposing of the property (including leasing surplus land for a term longer than 15 years). Government Code Section 37364 authorizes cities to sell, lease, or otherwise dispose of real property to provide housing affordable to persons and families of low-or moderate-income provided that (i) at least 80% of the area of the property will be used for development of housing, and (ii) at least 40% of the housing units developed on the property will be affordable to households whose income is not greater than 60% AMI (75% of the upper limit for “lower income households”), of which at least one-half will be affordable to households of very low-income (50% AMI).
If awarded the Homekey+ Program funding, the City desires to transfer the Property for its rehabilitation and operation as provided herein and therefore such property qualifies as exempt surplus land. If the City does not receive Homekey+ Program funding, this Resolution is hereby null and void.
FISCAL IMPACT:
No fiscal impact.
COUNCIL GOAL:
Economic Opportunity for All
WARD: 2
ATTACHMENT:
Resolution