Dozens of tenants and community advocates addressed the California Transportation Commission during public comment, saying the Caltrans-run home sales process for properties along the former State Route 710 corridor has produced disqualifications, delayed escrows and a lack of transparency.

Multiple speakers identified themselves as long-term Caltrans tenants in El Sereno, Pasadena and South Pasadena and described patterns they said violate the Roberti Act and the spirit of tenant-priority sales. "We are in crisis here on the sales process," said Roberto Flores during the virtual public comment period, adding that "approximately 50 tenants have been disqualified from purchasing their houses, illegally." Other speakers echoed that they had been denied affordable-sale eligibility on the basis of disputed household income standards, while being told fair market purchases were the only remaining path.

Speakers urged several remedies that the commission could consider or that they requested Caltrans implement: a moratorium on non-tenant sales, expedited escrow processing for tenants already in escrow, removal of third-party firms involved in the sales process (several speakers named BRG and an individual, Carolyn Dabney), referral to the Department of Housing and Community Development or another state agency, and greater transparency about valuation and repair schedules. In one account, a tenant in escrow said the realtors had told her that only about five homes are repaired per year, creating a multi-year backlog.

Why it matters: The complaints raise questions about implementation of the Roberti Act process for surplus state-owned housing and the timeliness of sales and repairs. Commission staff noted the public comments during the meeting; Caltrans staff were present in the broader meeting and commission members said they would take the concerns under advisement. No formal vote or formal action on the sales process was taken at the meeting.

Speakers and claims: Testimony included multiple named tenants and advocates: Roberto Flores, Ricky Alderson, Kelly Brinkman, Sean Salazar, Linda Ponce, Suzanne Easter and others. Comments reported denials of affordable-sale eligibility, multi-year escrow timelines, requests for removal of particular contractors involved in the sale process and requests for oversight by legislative and executive offices. Elected officials and legislative staff were reported by some public commenters to have attended local meetings on Aug. 9 and elsewhere.

Commission response and next steps: Commissioners acknowledged the comments and several pledged to follow up; one commissioner referenced a past meeting with tenant representatives and said the commission staff would work with Caltrans and other partners to understand the scope of the issues raised. No commission directive or formal referral was recorded in the meeting minutes during this session; the item remained in the public-comment record.