Last Day for Property Owners to Submit Bids For Bad Weather Shelter in City

Property owners, landlords, non-profit and community-based organizations in Pasadena have until 3 p.m. on Monday to submit bids for renting their site to be used as a winter shelter location in the city. 

The 2022-2023 Winter Shelter Program provides an opportunity to earn by renting out property to be used as temporary shelter for the homeless population of the city during bad weather. 

William K. Huang, Director of the Department of Housing, said the City issued a Winter Shelter Site RFI (Request for Information) in mid-July so interested parties can respond early. He said there will be no extension of Monday’s deadline. 

“We’ve been looking for a site for three years, so this RFI really is a chance to put out as broad of a net as possible to see if any sites materialize,” Huang said. 

“Two years ago, the Bad Weather Shelter lost its lease,” Huang told Pasadena Now last month. 

“Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, motel vouchers have been used since then to provide shelter for our unhoused neighbors on the coldest and rainiest nights of the year. The City is working with the Bad Weather Shelter operator to identify a new site for the upcoming winter season. We are looking for property owners who are potentially interested in renting out their space to be used as the new Bad Weather Shelter location.”

The City said Friends in Deed will continue to operate the site once it’s been selected out of the information submitted by Monday. Friends in Deed began offering the Bad Weather Shelter program in 1988 after a man experiencing homelessness died while sleeping outside on a bus stop bench in winter. For over 30 years, the shelter was offered at Pasadena Covenant Church on Lake Avenue, until the COVID-19 pandemic forced the nonprofit to pivot to accommodate social distancing.

Since 2020, the City has been using motel vouchers to house the homeless during times when the temperature hits 40 degrees and below, or when a 40 percent chance of rain is forecast. 

“If no sites materialize, then we would use the weather-activated motel voucher program that we’ve used for the last couple years,” Huang said. 

Huang added that the city is committed to have an anti hypothermia program for winter, whether it is a congregate shelter or motel vouchers.

As of Sunday evening, the bid page showed 14 potential bidders that have submitted information about their property to the City. 

Anyone interested in bidding for the Winter Shelter Program can visit https://pbsystem.planetbids.com/portal/14770/bo/bo-detail/96218?fbclid=IwAR3fIgGlwgbsDNPincT1AT-d5TWHUtbPAmBPEeL72d7sLJz0Wwe90Co0n28#bidInformation for more information.