Pasadena Housing Department Launches New Rental Assistance Program for Disabled, Homeless

Very low-income households in Pasadena that have at least one adult family member who is disabled and is between 18 and 62 years of age can benefit from a new rental assistance program that the Pasadena Department of Housing is launching this week. 

City Housing Director William K. Huang announced the Mainstream Opportunity Voucher-Enhanced – or MOVE – rental program will be launched on May 6 and will give priority to Pasadena households that are currently experiencing homelessness. 

Huang clarified this is not the opening of the Section 8 waiting list, which is yet being planned for a later date. 

The MOVE program spins out of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)’s award last December of 75 Mainstream vouchers to the Pasadena Department of Housing. These vouchers are a type of rental assistance voucher serving households with at least one non-elderly disabled member who’s not necessarily the head of the family. 

On April 21, the Pasadena City Council authorized the city manager to enter into a contract with Union Station Homeless Services to provide services and housing search assistance to Mainstream voucher holders, to ensure success at leasing rental units and to support long-term stability in housing. This program, which combines rental assistance with services, is now called the MOVE program. 

Beginning May 6, qualified households – those experiencing homelessness and with at least one adult with a disability – can call the Citizen Service Center at (626) 744-7311 for an initial screening. Households meeting the prescreening criteria for a MOVE voucher will be referred to the Coordinated Entry System, a countywide process for facilitating access for homeless individuals and families to the necessary housing intervention services.

Applicants who have been determined to be eligible through the Coordinate Entry System will be interviewed by Housing Department staff for verification of eligibility and voucher assistance. 

To qualify for a MOVE voucher, the household must have at least one member who has a disability and is between 18 and 62 years old. The household income must be at or below the very low-income limit for the corresponding household size for Los Angeles County. They must be currently experiencing homelessness as defined by HUD, and they must live, work, or attend school full-time in the city of Pasadena. 

People experiencing homelessness in Pasadena, or with at least a last permanent address in Pasadena, are included as “living” in Pasadena. 

Aside from calling the Citizen Service Center, people may also call Anne Lansing. Housing Assistance Officer, at (626) 744-6701, or email her at alansing@cityofpasadena.net for more information and assistance.