School District Housing Project to Move Forward on ‘Entitlement Pathway’

The Pasadena Unified School District Board of Education voted 6-1 Thursday night to move forward with a controversial workforce housing project, approving plans to pursue a streamlined entitlement process for approximately 115 units on district-owned property.

The project proposed for the now-closed Roosevelt Elementary would create affordable housing for District employees. Families attending local schools would not be eligible to rent the units. 

Last year, a workforce housing survey revealed a significant need for affordable housing options for PUSD employees in Pasadena.

Findings also suggested that addressing the need could help attract and retain high-quality educators and staff.

The survey reported that most PUSD employees (70%) spend more than 30% of their income on housing, which is considered a high housing cost burden. The survey also reported the average monthly rent/mortgage paid by PUSD employees is $2,200. Rent in the area is well over $3,000.

The Board endorsed pursuing the SB 35 and AB 2295 entitlement pathway, which is estimated to take six months and requires 50% of units to be designated as low-income housing. 

Board President Kim Kenne opposed using the entitlement pathways and voted against the item.

The pathway refers to two California laws that create streamlined processes for developing housing, particularly on school district-owned land. 

This approach, recommended by the Superintendent’s Advisory Committee, was chosen over two other options: a full city entitlement process, which would take about 24 months, and an AB 2295 project with partial streamlining, 12 to 15 months.

AB 2295 specifically allows school districts to develop housing on property they own. A key requirement is that a majority of units be affordable to low or moderate-income households. 

By invoking this pathway, the district would be able to bypass certain local zoning restrictions and lengthy approval processes, including CEQA review.

The board-approved plan includes a mix of one to four bedroom units, with a shift toward more family-sized apartments compared to earlier proposals. The approved unit mix consists of approximately 30% one-bedroom, 40% two-bedroom, and 30% three-plus bedroom units.

Saman Bravo-Karimi, the District’s Chief Business Officer, explained, “What we’re recommending is more two and three plus bedroom units than what was included in the feasibility study.”

He added that this change aims “to create more family housing for employees” and potentially bring more students to PUSD schools. The new mix significantly differs from the initial feasibility study, which proposed 60% one-bedroom units.

The project is expected to generate about $1.3 million in annual net operating income for the district. Some board members expressed concern that this figure was lower than earlier projections of over $2 million. 

The conceptual rent distribution ranges from $600 for a one-bedroom unit at the 10th salary percentile to $3,500 for a four-bedroom unit at the 100th percentile.

Board Member Patrick Cahalan defended the project against critics who argue housing is outside the district’s core mission. 

“We’re changing a liability into an asset,” Cahalan said. “This is turning a negative cashflow asset on the books into something that generates funds for the district.”

The Board approved a Mediterranean/Spanish revival architectural style, though some members questioned whether this fits the neighborhood. This style was recommended by the Superintendent’s Advisory Committee and presented with illustrative concept images in the Board presentation.

Board Member Jennifer Hall Lee suggested considering a Craftsman style, saying, “I think that we will run into significant roadblocks from the design review committee if we do not consider a Craftsman style architecture.”

Several issues remain unresolved, including determination of the historical status of existing buildings on the site and the need for City approval to vacate a street for the project.

The District plans to contract with a third-party property management company to operate the housing complex.

During public comments, some speakers supported the project as a way to address housing affordability for district employees.

Board Member Tina Fredericks picked up on that point, saying, “We have to figure out alternative ways in which we can motivate retention… there has to be other ways in which we become competitive.”

Board Members engaged in extensive discussion about balancing affordability for employees across income levels with the need to generate revenue for the district. The project aims to provide housing options for employees across various salary percentiles, with rents adjusted accordingly.

A timeline for construction was not specified during the meeting. However, the presentation outlined a pre-construction schedule of approximately 18-21 months, including planning application, entitlement and CEQA processes, construction document preparation, and permitting.

The project represents an ongoing effort by the district to utilize underused properties and address staff housing needs, though it has faced multiple Board votes and discussions over the past two years. The presentation highlighted a series of Board actions dating back to December 2021, including the approval of a contract with Education Housing Partners for a workforce housing feasibility study in December 2022 and the initiation of the workforce housing project in March 2024.