Local Affordable Housing, Homeless Services and Street Repairs Are Set for Funding Review Funding for 2026

The Housing, Homelessness and Planning Committee is scheduled to consider a proposed 2026 Annual Action Plan on Wednesday, June 3, that would direct $4,688,396 in federal Housing and Urban Development funding toward affordable housing, homeless services, infrastructure improvements and public facilities in Pasadena.

The committee will consider recommending that the City Council approve the submission of grant applications across three federal programs: the Community Development Block Grant, the HOME Investment Partnership Act, and the Emergency Solutions Grant. Because the committee is strictly advisory, any action taken at the June 3 meeting would be a recommendation only; the City Council retains final authority over the Annual Action Plan and is scheduled to consider it at a public hearing on June 15.

According to the staff report, the Annual Action Plan represents Year 2 of the city’s Five-Year Consolidated Plan covering 2025 through 2029. The draft plan was available for public review and comment from April 16 through May 15, with any comments received to be included in the final version prior to submission to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

If the City Council ultimately approves the recommendation, the plan’s largest share — $3.1 million — would flow through the Community Development Block Grant program, including $2,164,886 in new entitlement funds and $912,114 in reprogrammed unspent prior-year block grant funds. HOME Investment Partnership Act funding would total $662,156, while Emergency Solutions Grant resources would reach $949,240, combining $188,739 in new entitlement funds, $290,365 in unspent prior-year Emergency Solutions Grant funds and $470,136 in reprogrammed Rapid Unsheltered Survivor Housing disaster grant carryover.

Under the Community Development Block Grant allocation, infrastructure improvements would receive $1.9 million — including $1.1 million for street resurfacing and ADA improvements, $500,000 for sidewalk improvements and $250,000 for ADA pushbutton upgrades — along with $170,000 for a Fire Station 36 alerting equipment upgrade. Public services funded under the block grant would total $132,000, supporting youth programming through the Flintridge Center ($75,000), early child education and mental health programming through Families Forward Learning Center ($25,000) and community public services through the Armenian Relief Society of Western USA ($32,000). Section 108 repayment for the Robinson Recreation Center would receive $440,000, and block grant program administration would receive $460,000.

HOME funds would be allocated to program administration ($150,000), a Tenant-Based Rental Assistance Program ($300,000) and affordable housing development ($212,156). Emergency Solutions Grant funds would be distributed across administration ($44,088), Homeless Management Information System management ($125,325), street outreach ($197,495), emergency shelter ($203,562) and rapid rehousing ($378,770).

According to the staff report, the proposed activities are designed to assist 10 households with tenant-based rental assistance, 450 persons through public services, 35 persons through street outreach, 11 persons through overnight shelter, 14 persons through rapid rehousing, 25,000 persons through infrastructure improvements and 23,500 persons through public facility improvements during the program year.

Two advisory commissions have already weighed in. On April 8, the Human Services Commission recommended that the City Council approve the public services funding allocations for the Community Development Block Grant program, and on May 12, the Northwest Commission recommended that the City Council approve the block grant infrastructure and public facility improvement projects.

The recommended actions would have no direct fiscal impact, according to the staff report. If approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the funds would be included as revenue in the proposed Fiscal Year 2027 operating budget of the Housing Department, and approval would also keep the city eligible for other federally funded programs consistent with an adopted Five-Year Consolidated Plan and Annual Action Plan.

The Housing, Homelessness and Planning Committee is scheduled to meet at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, June 3, in the Council Chamber, Room S249, Pasadena City Hall, 100 North Garfield Avenue, in Pasadena. For more information call (626) 744-7311 or visit https://www.cityofpasadena.net/commissions/agendas/.