Council hears plan to merge housing functions into new Department of Housing and Land Management, with $100M for acquisitions

The Committee on Budget heard details of a mayoral proposal to merge the Office of Housing into the Department of Land Management to form a Department of Housing and Land Management and to present a single budget for the new unit.

Executive Director Alger described the mayor’s message (MM03725) proposing the consolidation and said the merger would “bring together a team of housing and land acquisition professionals” to speed property transactions and affordable housing production.

The merger package presented as departmental communication D018425 would create a 47-position department, with salaries budgeted at about $3.9 million and current expenses near $8.1 million for total operating expenditures just north of $12 million. Alger said the proposal includes a $4 million request for Uniform Relocation Act relocation payments plus roughly $100,000 in subsidies for city-owned inventory, for a $4.1 million total related request.

Why it matters: Council members pressed department leaders on whether the new structure will unlock land and finance tools to speed affordable housing, how homelessness-related programs will coordinate with Department of Community Services, and how quickly the city can staff and deploy its inventory.

The administration said no net new positions are being requested as part of the merger; the total of 47 would come from existing Department of Land Management roles and transfers of positions from the Office of Housing, Department of Planning and Permitting and Department of Community Services. Alger said 16 positions would be filled as civil-service roles and 15 by…