Study Session on Placing Affordable Housing on Church Property Pulled From Planning Commission Agenda

A study session on building affordable housing on church property was pulled from the agenda for Wednesday’s Planning Commission meeting.

The item was pulled in response to Mayor Victor Gordo’s announcement at Monday’s City Council meeting that the council will form a Housing Task Force.

In correspondence to the commission, local residents expressed support for the idea. 

“I’m delighted to hear that local churches are stepping up to offer their land for affordable housing,” said Pasadena resident Bin Lee. “But they’re hamstrung by current zoning rules. This also makes things difficult for affordable housing developers, most of them nonprofits who lack funds to build low-density projects. I ask the commission to adopt policies and zoning changes that enable churches and developers to build higher-density affordable housing to help alleviate the housing crisis.” 

As part of Pasadena’s ongoing efforts to combat the city’s seemingly intransigent homeless problem, the Planning Department is discussing zoning code amendments that would allow permanent housing options on properties owned by religious organizations.

Properties owned by churches and other religious facilities typically have large underutilized parking areas. Numerous religious organizations have begun discussions related to new housing developments on their properties.

Churches in San Diego and Walnut Creek in Northern California are currently building housing on church property, including a 45-unit project in Walnut Creek. Clairemont Lutheran Church in San Diego is seeking to build approximately 12 low-income homes on an existing church parking lot. The city eliminated parking standards based on pew count and reduced overall requirements. 

According to the staff presentation, the City Council could vote to amend specific land uses that apply to religious facilities in zones that currently allow housing.

The amendment would include general standards for religious facility housing, including parking requirements as defined by state law. Project density would be limited to underlying land-use restrictions.

For zones that do not currently permit housing, projects with housing could be permitted after a discretionary review process, similar to a hotel conversion permit, in which the city would need to establish density provisions based on lot size. Other factors could also apply. 

The Planning Commission discussed the item twice last summer. In October, staff members asked the City Council for direction on moving forward with the possibility.

“We need a full mix of people of different economic levels to have a healthy community,” said Rob Muthiah, a member of the Pasadena Mennonite Church. “It is unjust to make those at the lower end travel in order to work and serve those at the higher end.”