The City of Pasadena has completed the purchase of 17 unused lots once owned by Caltrans and plans to repurpose them under new state housing law. Four of the properties will be converted into affordable housing, while the remaining 13 will be sold, with proceeds dedicated to housing development.
According to local media, the City Council recently finalized the acquisitions and authorized resale of the lots, many of which had been left vacant for decades after earlier housing demolitions. The move follows SB 959, which requires that when Caltrans properties are redeveloped, each lot must include at least three units designated for low-income households.
The lots are part of a larger area once seized during the 1960s and 1970s for the planned extension of the 710 Freeway. Although nearly 400 homes were taken, the freeway project was never completed, leaving behind what became known as the “710 Stub,” a large stretch of idle land.
Of the newly acquired parcels, four have been classified as non-historic housing sites and will be directly converted into affordable units. The other 13 will be sold on the market in “as-is” condition by December 31, with buyers required to renovate them into livable homes within a set timeframe. Ten of those properties will be listed first, while three will be posted on the MLS (Multiple Listing Service) at market price.
The city has tied the effort to its broader Housing Element plan adopted in 2022, which requires Pasadena to add 9,429 new housing units by 2029. Of that total, 2,747 must be for extremely low-income residents, 1,662 for low-income, 1,565 for moderate-income, and 3,455 for above-moderate households. Under Los Angeles County standards, extremely low income is defined as an annual per-person income of $53,000 or less, and low income as $84,850 or less.
BY HOONSIK WOO [woo.hoonsik@koreadaily.com]
