Pasadena Takes Action On Affordable Housing Agenda

"With years of community input and recent consultants' advice under its belt, the city is taking small steps toward handling the large problem of affordable housing.

The Pasadena City Council decided to move forward with five of the 10 initiatives brought forth by Assistant City Manager Brian Williams on behalf of the city's housing staff at last week's council meeting. Most of the items deal with making the city more affordable for renters.

The council chose the ones listed in the city staff report as the more "immediate" needs, including:

-- waiving the inclusionary housing in lieu fee for projects that include at least 30 percent work-force housing. This is housing to entice city employees to live in Pasadena;

-- reserving $2 million for the extension and expansion of affordable housing covenants, where the city pays landlords to keep rents low;

-- appropriating an additional $100,000 this year for the Emergency Rental Assistance Program;

-- establishing a Homeless Prevention Program, funded from the sale of the Casa Maria property with $25,000 appropriated this year to begin the program; and

-- supporting legislation to provide incentives for owners of rental"

The proposals came from a 10-year housing agenda developed by The Planning Center (with Karen Waren Associates), in conjunction with the Urban Land Institute Technical Assistance Panel.

Programs recommended included: inclusionary program revisions, condominium conversion inclusionary requirement, Housing Preservation Program, San Gabriel Valley Housing Trust Fund, Pasadena Nonprofit Housing Development Corporation, Limited Equity Cooperatives, Multi-Family Acquisition and Rehabilitation Program, Pasadena Housing Roundtable, Land Banking Program, Workforce Housing incentives, Ten-Year Strategy to End Homelessness, Affordable Housing Expedite Programs, and a Housing 2025 Vision process.