[The following letter was sent to the South Pasadena City Council before their meeting on January 15, 2025. South Pasadena Tenants Union collected over 130 signatures of South Pasadena renters and homeowners in the 24 hours before the meeting.]
Dear South Pasadena City Council,
The City of South Pasadena must act immediately to implement a rent freeze. In July 2024, the Council directed staff to prepare a report on a rent freeze to protect tenants while the City fulfills its commitments outlined in the Housing Element certified by the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD). Despite this directive, no action was ever taken. The time for delay is over—we need a rent freeze now.
Price gouging in the wake of disasters is unacceptable and requires immediate action. A rent freeze is a simple, effective measure that could be enacted without delay. Will this Council step up and do what is right for our community?
We also need an eviction moratorium to prevent landlords from displacing tenants to exploit the current crisis for financial gain. For years, South Pasadena residents have asked this Council to adopt an increased relocation fee ordinance. This critical measure, also included in the Housing Element, has been ignored for too long. If residents are forced out of their homes by investor landlords or profiteering agents seeking to replace them with fire victims desperate for housing, how will they survive on a relocation fee of just one month’s rent? Where are they expected to go? Should families pitch tents in Garfield Park? Should parents uproot their children from our school district?
This is both a health and economic crisis, much like the challenges we faced during COVID-19. Tens of thousands of people are newly homeless, and many more who have lost income are at risk of joining them. South Pasadena must implement robust homelessness prevention measures now. The community cannot wait months for debate or inaction.
We urge you to protect South Pasadena residents with a rent freeze, an eviction moratorium, and increased relocation fees without delay. Our community is counting on your leadership in this critical moment.
South Pasadena Tenants Union and South Pasadena residents