If you’re buying near one of Palmdale’s neighborhood house lots, the immediate question is whether the property is headed for sale. The City of Palmdale Housing Authority proposed a step toward that process, but the recommendation covered more land than the local newspaper reported was advanced.
As of October 30, 2026, the staff report recommended declaring five properties exempt surplus land; Antelope Valley Press reported that the vote advanced only one. The adopted resolution and meeting minutes had not been posted when checked, so the final adopted wording is unverified. You should check the posted minutes and resolution.
The item concerns the Authority’s process under California’s Surplus Land Act. It doesn’t establish a completed sale.
What was on the October 6 agenda?
Housing Authority Consent Calendar item 5.1 proposed exempt surplus land declarations for five Authority-owned properties.
The October 6 agenda lists the proposal for the Authority’s consideration. The Housing Division’s staff report recommended adopting Resolution No. HA 2026-002 and authorizing its submission, with supporting documents, to the California Department of Housing and Community Development, or HCD, for review.
Blank vote lines appear in the draft resolution. Read it as the proposed action, then look for the adopted version to establish the final scope.
Staff also estimated $10,000 for updated appraisals and said submission to HCD itself has no fiscal impact. Keep that appraisal expense separate from any question about a parcel’s sale price or value.
Which five properties did staff identify?
Staff identified four neighborhood house properties and an adjacent garden parcel, with each parcel smaller than one-half acre.
The report lists:
- APN 3008-010-906: 0.18 acres at 503 East Avenue Q3, used as the Yucca Neighborhood House and food pantry by local nonprofits.
- APN 3008-010-907: 0.18 acres adjacent to 503 East Avenue Q3, vacant land used as the Yucca Neighborhood garden.
- APN 3012-014-900: 0.16 acres at 1129 East Avenue R4, used by local nonprofits as the Tumbleweed Neighborhood House.
- APN 3021-005-900: 0.17 acres at 38627 32nd Street East, used by local nonprofits as the Manzanita Neighborhood House.
- APN 3008-016-902: 0.19 acres at 38553 4th Street East, vacant land that had been used as a neighborhood house, known as the former Gabriel’s Neighborhood House.
Use the APN as well as the address when asking about a lot. The two Yucca entries are separate parcels, despite sharing an address reference. Request an answer for each APN if both matter to your purchase research.
Keep a copy of the parcel list alongside any later resolution or correspondence. That makes it easier to compare which properties a document actually covers.
What did the newspaper report moved forward?
Antelope Valley Press reported that the Authority advanced only the former Gabriel’s Neighborhood House property.
Its October 15 article reported concerns about nonprofits using several properties. Staff said the vacant former Gabriel’s property was the only one considered for sale in the immediate future. Staff said the declaration only lets the Authority begin the sale process and any sale needs separate approval.
We were talking with a buyer who had heard that the Palmdale Housing Authority planned to develop five neighborhood house lots. She wanted to know when the homes would be available and how to apply. We explained that planning for the lots was not the same as having completed homes or an active sales program.
What does the surplus-land exemption do?
According to the staff report, land a local agency no longer needs must be declared surplus land or exempt surplus land before any action to sell or lease it. Staff recommended the exempt label for these five lots.
Staff relied on Government Code Section 54221(f)(1)(B). As described in the report, that exemption concerns land smaller than one-half acre that isn’t contiguous to agency-owned land used for open space or low- and moderate-income housing purposes.
Each parcel met the size requirement, staff said, and none was contiguous to land owned by a state or local agency. The report also addressed coastal, historic-resource and Lake Tahoe exclusions.
HCD review was part of the recommended next step. Request the review’s status and any resulting documents from the Housing Division. When organizing your research, keep the staff recommendation, adopted Authority action and HCD correspondence together, with each document’s date visible.
This is general information and not legal advice.
What would recorded affordability covenants mean here?
Long-term affordability covenants would be recorded upon each sale to keep the property affordable to low- and moderate-income households, according to the staff report.
The Authority wishes to sell to eligible households, entities, nonprofits or other qualified organizations for low- and moderate-income housing purposes under California Community Redevelopment Law.
The documents don’t supply eligibility definitions, income limits or a covenant term beyond “long-term.” They also don’t establish a sale price, buyer, sale date, development plan, zoning, lot dimensions or utilities. They make no finding about neighboring property values, do not say the nonprofits must leave, and give no HCD review result.
For a parcel you’re considering buying, request a title report and check the county recorder’s records for any recorded covenant. Obtain the applicable affordability documents and eligibility requirements from the Housing Division, then match the parcel identifier across those records.
If your search also includes an older or vacant property, read the California unpermitted-work disclosure guide while preparing your property-condition questions.
What else does the annual report tell you?
Related agreements appear in the 2025-2026 annual report, which was agenda item 5.2.
Agreement A-9529 concerns listing 38553 4th Street for sale for low-income housing. The report also lists a minor-construction authorization at that address, A-8565-R, and an extension of an exclusive negotiation agreement with LINC 4th Street Palmdale, LP for proposed affordable rental housing, A-9121.
Don’t combine those entries into a confirmed project for APN 3008-016-902. The annual report doesn’t establish that the LINC agreement covers the same parcel as the listing.
Request the documents behind each relevant agreement number. Have the Housing Division identify the APN each agreement covers and explain whether any later action changed its status. Compare those answers with the final resolution for item 5.1, keeping the annual report’s agreement list separate from the October action.
What should buyers, investors and neighboring owners check?
Check the parcel records, the adopted Authority action, and any future City Council sale item.
Start with the City’s Housing Resources page. The Housing Division is at 38250 Sierra Highway, Second Floor, and its phone number is 661-267-5126. Posted hours are Monday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., closed Fridays.
Prepare your request around the parcel:
- Give the APN and address.
- Request the adopted resolution and October 6 meeting minutes.
- Check the status of HCD review and request related correspondence.
- Ask whether a future disposition or sale item has been scheduled.
- If considering an Authority parcel, request eligibility documents and proposed covenant language.
According to the staff report, future business concerning disposition or sale will return to the City Council for review and consideration. Follow that agenda alongside your parcel records.
For a home with an HOA, use the California HOA disclosure guide to organize that part of your document review. Buyers comparing assistance can also see how Covina’s first-time buyer loan is set up, since programs differ by city.
The short version
Staff recommended exempt surplus land declarations for five parcels. Antelope Valley Press reported that only the former Gabriel’s property advanced.
Check the posted adopted resolution and minutes, then follow HCD review documents and any future City Council sale agenda. Match each record to the APN you’re researching.
For a potential purchase, review the eligibility requirements and affordability documents alongside the title report and county recorder’s records. For a nearby home, keep your questions focused on the specific Authority parcel and its documented status.
For a separate look at your property, use the home value tool.
Common questions
Did the Housing Authority approve selling all five lots?
Staff recommended exempt surplus land declarations for five properties. Antelope Valley Press reported that only the former Gabriel's Neighborhood House property advanced. Any future sale requires separate review and consideration.
Does an exempt surplus land declaration complete a sale?
No. The staff report says future business concerning disposition or sale will return to the City Council for review and consideration.
What affordability restrictions were proposed?
The staff report says long-term affordability covenants will be recorded upon each sale to keep the property affordable to low- and moderate-income households.
Where can you check the final action?
Check the posted October 6 meeting minutes and adopted resolution, and ask the Housing Division about the status of the property and HCD review.
