Federal Real Property: Funding and Other Challenges Have Hindered Progress Under a Temporary Disposal Process

A GAO review found that the Federal Assets Sale and Transfer Act of 2016, meant to streamline disposal of unneeded federal buildings, has resulted in just 14 property sales as of August 2026, totaling about $576 million, out of 23 properties approved. Most of those sales came from the earlier 2019 round; many 2025-round properties have no clear disposal timeline.

The law's central selling point, a fund to cover future disposal costs from past sale proceeds, only works if Congress actually appropriates the money, and it didn't from 2023 to 2025. Agency officials told GAO the funding gap made planning and budgeting for sales difficult, though Congress did appropriate about $143 million in 2026.

GSA and the Public Buildings Reform Board, which stops operating this December, suggested the process would work better with more reliable access to sale proceeds, a fix that requires the same Congress that starved the fund for three years to change its mind.

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