GSA Unveils ‘Space Match’ Program for Sharing Federal Offices
The Trump administration and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency have already cut nearly 750 federal leases as of Monday
By Nick Trombola March 3, 2025 4:00 pm
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Amid the Trump administration’s frenetic effort to drastically reduce the federal government’s real estate footprint, the General Services Administration is rolling out a new program aimed at further consolidating departmental office needs.
The GSA on Monday launched Space Match, an office-sharing program that connects agencies in need of work space with those that have space to spare. The goal of the program is to improve efficiency, reduce costs and reinforce the Office of Management and Budget and Congress’ August memo calling for a minimum of 60 percent office utilization, while also encouraging collaboration between agencies, per the GSA.
“By leveraging shared office space, we are optimizing real estate usage, reducing overhead costs, and providing employees with more flexible work arrangements,” Michael Peters, the GSA’s Public Buildings Service commissioner, said in a statement.
Agencies in need of space can apply to the GSA via its website, and the GSA will in turn help connect those agencies to an appropriate host. The GSA is working to create draft occupancy agreements and other memos to formalize agreements between host agencies and their new subtenants. If and how the tenant agency would contribute to rent costs was not immediately clear.
Once a match between a host and tenant agency is in place, it can take “as little as 30 days” to process occupancy agreements in line with the next billing period, according to the GSA. “Minor renovations and alterations” from the agencies are permitted under the program, though the scope of the changes are subject to the space available and host agency’s preferences. Office furniture and Wi-Fi also may or may not be provided by the host agency, situation dependent, per the GSA.
“This program supports the shift from agency-specific space to government-wide utilization standards,” Ryan Brill, design lead at the United States Air Force, added in a statement. “As more federal employees return to the office, it helps agencies make the most of their existing real estate.”
The Space Match program launch comes amid a whirlwind of activity from the administration and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), making sweeping cuts to the federal government’s operations in the name of cost cutting. Trimming federal leases across the United States has so far been a major point of focus for DOGE — as of March 3, the non-governmental agency has claimed to have terminated nearly 750 leases, totaling nearly 9.6 million square feet, according to its website, which it launched in mid-February. DOGE claims the terminations have so far saved $660 million in annual rent costs.
Nick Trombola can be reached at ntrombola@commercialobserver.com.
