City Announces Acting Director of Housing

The City announced on Tuesday that James Wong has been selected as the Acting Housing Director. Wong will act in the director role until the recruitment for a permanent director is completed in early spring of 2025.

“I feel fortunate to have sustained a career in affordable housing and am grateful for the opportunity to continue serving the City of Pasadena in this new capacity,” Wong said in a prepared statement.

Wong will oversee the housing department, which has an annual budget of $46.3 million and 91 full-time equivalent employees, including 67 employees who participate in the Municipal Assistance, Solutions, and Hiring (MASH) program.

MASH is a unique temporary full-time paid job training program for dozens of adult participants that provides services to homeowners as well as City departments.

Wong has 40 years of experience in housing programs and administration, most recently serving as a Senior Project Manager with the City of Pasadena since 2004. He has been with the City of Pasadena Housing since 1990, when he began as a Program Coordinator III, where he administered a homebuyer assistance loan program.

He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics and a master’s degree in Architecture and Urban Planning from UCLA.

“Jim will be a tremendous asset to our City as an acting director due to his strong background in housing administration, a proven track record of delivering critical housing programs, and being a respected presence within the housing community. I am confident he will build on the exceptional work established by Bill Huang, our retiring Housing Director. Jim works effectively with both the community he serves and his team, leveraging their expertise to develop creative solutions to the housing challenges ahead,” said City Manager Miguel Márquez.

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