SONJA K. BERNDT
Pasadena, CA 91107
Febmary 13, 2022
City of Pasadena Economic Development & Technology Committee Councilmember Tyron Hampton, Chairperson
Vice Mayor Andy Wilson, Member
Councilmember Steve Madison, Member
Councilmember Jessica Rivas, Member
Pasadena, CA
(By email)
Re: ED Tech Meeting 2/15/2022: Critical Infonnation Missing from the Minutes of the ED Tech Meeting 12/8/2021 re: Motel Vouchers & Interim Housing for Unsheltered Residents of Pasadena
Dear Members of the Economic Development & Technology Committee:
I have reviewed the minutes of the meeting of the ED Tech Committee held on December 8, 2021, which are up for approval at the upcoming meeting on February 15, 2022. I understand that the minutes in the agenda are only meant to be summary in form.
However, there is critical information missing from those minutes related to the subject of the City's motel voucher shelter program and tiny homes as interim shelter for our unsheltered residents.
I bring this to your attention not to nitpick or to be hypercritical. Please understand that community members have been asking the City Council to agendize the subject of tiny homes for many, many months and the Human Services Commission submitted a tiny home proposal to this Committee (or to Mayor Gordo) in November 2020 only to be told it would not be agendized. The fact that the subject of tiny homes is finally being agendized for discussion in this Committee at next month's meeting is a "really big deal," not just to community members, but to the hundreds of residents in our City who sleep on the street every night and who are not fortunate enough to get any motel vouchers. We need a full and fair discussion of the issue of tiny homes and I believe that begins with what was said and what was requested of staff at the December 8, 2021 meeting.
Please consider the following additional information for inclusion in the minutes of the December 8, 2021 meeting:
1 1.) Vice Mayor Wilson wanted to know whether motel vouchers are concentrated in a few motels or scattered all over. He asked staff to provide total number of motel nights by location. He stated that if these nights are concentrated (at a few locations), maybe we could pursue "ownership change." (Timestamp 55:00:00-58:00:00.)'
2.) The cost comparison Vice Mayor Wilson wants between the motel voucher program and tiny homes is a "per night" cost comparison. (58:00:00.)
3.) Vice Mayor Wilson asked Chair Hampton to agendize the subject of tiny homes and asked staff to come back with more data so that we have more effective comparisons. He stated "[w]e owe it to the public to get a more full analysis of that program." (1:01:00.) Vice Mayor Wilson stated he supports the voucher program, but he also said "we need to drill down deeper on tiny homes." (1:03:00.)
4.) Chairperson Hampton agreed to agendize the subject of tiny homes and commented that "it is an important discussion to come up in the New Year." (1:02:00.)
5.) Councilmember Rivas vocally supported Vice Mayor Wilson's request for further discussion on tiny homes. "I feel like all we hear about is pushback." She stated that beyond the operational costs she would like to know what the program is like and how successful it is. (1:06:30.)
Thank you for your time and consideration of this letter.
Sincerely,
/s/
Sonja K. Bemdt, Esq. (retired)
Cc: William Huang, Director Pasadena Housing Department Timestamp references are to the videorecording of the meeting and are approximate. 2