Item 320.DD of the 2020 Appropriations Act directs the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS), in conjunction with several other state agencies and stakeholders, to inventory vacant and surplus properties and develop a plan for disposition of those properties. A workgroup, comprised of representatives from DBHDS and Department of General Services (DGS) and Bureau of Real Estate Services (BRES), was formed and reviewed the DBHDS property holdings throughout the Commonwealth. Working within the framework of the future of behavioral health support delivery, the Department’s vacant and surplus properties and buildings were inventoried, as well as those that are underutilized and have potential for replacement. A plan was developed for the potential disposition of these properties.

This work is a continuation of an ongoing process that was started approximately 20 years ago. Within that time, DBHDS has sold or has a sale pending, on approximately 35 percent of the property it held in the year 2000, reducing its footprint from approximately 3,000 acres to about 1,950 acres. An additional 575 acres have been declared surplus and are being prepared for disposition. This report provides a summary of the Department’s vacant and surplus properties and plans for disposition. DBHDS will continue to evaluate its facilities and work with BRES to identify and surplus properties no longer needed to support the Agency’s mission.