Sasha Renée Pérez (File Photo – Office of Sasha Renée Pérez)
State Sen. Sasha Renée Pérez (D-Pasadena) has announced legislation aimed at protecting Altadena from real estate speculation as the community continues to recover from the devastating Eaton Fire.
By News Desk
Senate Bill 1090 has been amended to establish a five-year moratorium on Senate Bills 9 and 1123 in Altadena. Both housing laws are currently in effect statewide and allow for increased residential density on certain single-family residential properties through measures such as lot splits and the construction of additional housing units.
While the laws were designed to expand housing opportunities across California, Pérez said many Altadena residents have raised concerns that investors are purchasing fire-damaged properties and using the density provisions to pursue higher-density developments that could alter the character of the community during its recovery.
“The people of Altadena are demanding protection from speculators who are buying land from distressed fire survivors and trying to exploit the intent of existing laws,” Pérez said. “While I have supported many policies to increase housing supply in California, these laws were intended for urban infill, not for a community that has suffered the level of disaster experienced in Altadena.”
Pérez noted that entire blocks of homes were destroyed in the Eaton Fire and warned that allowing significantly denser redevelopment on former single-family lots could strain local infrastructure and disrupt the rebuilding process.
Assemblymember John Harabedian (D-Pasadena), a principal co-author of SB 1090, said the legislation would help ensure that Altadena’s recovery remains guided by residents and fire survivors rather than outside development interests.
“Altadena continues to face a long road to recovery following the Eaton Fire,” Harabedian said. “During this critical rebuilding period, residents should have the opportunity to restore their homes and neighborhoods without added pressure from speculative development.”
Supporters of the measure point to protections already granted to survivors of the Palisades Fire through an executive order issued by Gov. Gavin Newsom. The order temporarily suspends certain housing density laws in affected areas to provide stability during recovery efforts.
However, according to Pérez, the executive order applies only to portions of the Eaton Fire disaster area designated as High Fire Hazard Severity Zones. Because Altadena was not designated as such, many properties affected by the Eaton Fire do not receive the same protections available to residents in Pacific Palisades.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, whose Fifth District includes Altadena and who is sponsoring SB 1090, emphasized the need for stability as residents rebuild.
“Many Eaton Fire survivors are already carrying an enormous emotional burden as they navigate the difficult process of rebuilding their homes and lives,” Barger said. “The last thing they should have to worry about is whether speculative development will fundamentally alter the neighborhoods they are fighting so hard to restore.”
Barger said the bill would provide safeguards against opportunistic lot splits while recovery efforts continue and help ensure that Altadena’s future remains in the hands of longtime residents.
SB 1090 is scheduled to be heard in an Assembly committee in the coming weeks.
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