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Tenants press Pasadena council over conditions, sales in CALR-owned 710 corridor homes
Summary
Multiple tenants and descendants testified to years of deferred maintenance, injuries and alleged harassment at CALR‑owned homes in the 710 corridor, urging the city to press the state for a pause in sales and to allow independent inspections and tenant protections while litigation and AB2329 move forward.
Dozens of public commenters at the June 22 Pasadena City Council meeting urged the city to intervene on behalf of tenants living in state-owned homes managed or sold by CALR (CalTrans-related holdings) and Veterans Realty Group. Speakers described long-term neglect — mold, asbestos, lead, water contamination, structural deterioration and, in one case, a severe fall caused by a protruding sidewalk slab — and asked the city to ask the state to pause sales until pending litigation and AB2329's implementation are clarified.
Kelly Brinkman, a 20-year tenant, asked the council to “formally advocate for the removal of Caltrans and Veterans Realty Group from the sale of Caltrans-owned homes in the 710 corridor” and to support a moratorium on sales while litigation and state policy are resolved. Other speakers — including Liz Wolf and Tanya Catenan — gave personal accounts of injury and chronic building hazards and asked the city to create a process for tenants to bring health and safety concerns directly to city inspectors for independent review.
Council response and staff follow-up: Council members expressed sympathy and urged police enforcement for separate street-racing complaints; for the CALR issues, several council members urged a strong public statement to the governor and to Caltrans/contractors, and staff said they would follow up with residents. The council did not take a formal action specific to CALR at the meeting but agreed to push for stronger statements and enforcement where appropriate.
What to watch: Residents asked for a moratorium on sales pending litigation and for independent inspections; both would require coordination with state agencies and potentially new city procedures. The Council indicated support for public pressure on state officials but did not adopt an ordinance or specific binding action at this meeting.
