Finance Committee Approves $2 Million Loan for a Housing Project for Homeless Youth, PCC Students

The City Council’s Finance Committee unanimously approved on Monday the $2 million housing loan agreement with Heritage Housing Partners LLC (HHP) for the conversion of two buildings at 2322 E. Foothill Blvd. into a housing project for homeless young people ages 18-24.

The two buildings are in close proximity to both of Pasadena City College’s campuses on Colorado Boulevard and Foothill Boulevard. and may also house youth tenants who are also PCC students.

Mayor Victor Gordo said during the meeting the project would be beneficial to young people including those who would graduate out of the foster care system.

“We have the highest concentration of young people, kids living in foster care in Pasadena and Altadena,” Gordo said. “A lot of the kids who are in the foster care system are in public schools and many of them end up in PCC when they graduate out of the foster care system so this is a population that we have to put a lot of focus on in terms of providing affordable housing.”

In its report to the committee, the Housing Department cited a recent UCLA study where it’s estimated that one in every five California community college students experience homelessness or are housing insecure.

Community colleges have the highest rates of homelessness and housing insecurity across the state’s three public systems of post-secondary education, the study also noted.

PCC President Erika Endrijonas said housing is an increasingly difficult challenge for students at PCC.

She added that roughly 5 percent of the total student population reports difficulties in finding a place to live every year.

“In the current 2021-22 academic year, this figure translates to more than 900 PCC students forced to couch-surf, sleep in their vehicles, or find shelter on the streets of our community,”  Endrijonas noted.

“I am pleased to lend PCC’s support to the proposal for the City of Pasadena to finance an innovative affordable housing project in our City. This project is an important step forward in a college-City partnership to find creative solutions to address the affordable housing crisis,” added Endrijonas.

The total project would cost $2.2 million. Aside from the $2 million city loan, HHP will use $200,000 in private funds, consisting of an anticipated grant from the Pasadena Community Foundation and a $15,950 contribution, to pursue the housing project, as per the Housing Department’s report.