Pasadena Council Grapples With Homelessness With Projections of Over a 1000 in 5 Years

Introduction of new Pasadena Police Officers (Photo – Garrett Rowlan).

Winter still hung in the air as the Pasadena City Council gathered on Monday night, but inside it was almost sunny, things went pleasantly and smoothly—until they didn’t.

By Garrett Rowlan

The meeting began with the presentation of new police officers and, later, representations from Wilson Middle School, including Principal Kyle Douglas, who had returned from San Francisco, where their drum line had successfully participated in a statewide competition. They impressed, and received a “gold Level certification” on their first try at competition.

After these openings, council swiftly approved a few projects, knocking them down like bowling pins: they awarded a contract for traffic signals improvement; stated support for Propositions 68 and 69, which will give Pasadena 2.4 million dollars for park improvement (propositions 70, 71, and 72 were not supported); and a resolution that required customer-owned self-generation units (microturbines, fuel cells) to utilize only renewable fuel sources.

Wilson Middle School’s Principal Kyle Douglas with staff and students (Photo – Garrett Rowlan).

Villa Los Robles apartments

Things stalled when approving money when upgrading the Villa Los Robles apartments at 473 N. Los Robles. The property is ideal as an affordable site, inasmuch as the 8 units have large bedrooms, ideal for families, and the Council approved the one million, fifty-thousand dollar fund with reservations. Margaret McAustin, District 2, couldn’t support the measure for lack of information regarding upkeep and accountability. While Tyron Hampton, District 1, supported it, mostly for the reasons—shared by others—that the funds had to be used on a “use it or lose it” (i.e., state  funds) basis.

Pasadena homelessness issue weighing on many minds at Council meeting on Monday night (Photo – Garrett Rowlan).

Homelessness

After a reading of an ordinance that tightened protection for trees in construction areas, the  Council moved on to the evening’s sticky subject. After a presentation on homelessness (details at pasadenapartnership.org), Councilmember Steve Madison, District 6, characterized the results as “sobering.” The homeless count, taken in January, showed 677 people homeless, an eighteen percent increase since the last census. It’s on the rise. There are other issues within this number, as, for example, 37 percent of homeless people are fifty years of age or older.

Pasadena Council meeting on Monday, April 30, 2018 (Photo – Garret Rowlan).

Heritage Square

The Council then heard from the public, some of whom spoke for the development of Heritage Square as a site to house the homeless.

The Council resolved to find avenues to address the problem, which Mayor Terry Tornek described as “almost overwhelming.” Adding, “It’s where my office gets the most complaints.”

> Watch the entire Pasadena City Council meeting for Monday, April 30, 2018.