Senator Pérez and Assemblymember Fong join tenants and community leaders calling for audit of Caltrans over management of homes in the former 710 freeway extension

• Cristal Amezcua
• (916) 319-2049
• [email protected]

PASADENA - Senator Sasha Renée Pérez (D-Pasadena) and Assemblymember Mike Fong (D-Alhambra) are leading the call for an independent state audit of the California Department of Transportation's management of properties associated with the former State Route 710 extension project.

Caltrans operates the Affordable Sales Program that is intended to return homes acquired for the now-defunct 710 freeway extension to the community through affordable housing opportunities.

Members of the public have felt the direct impact of Caltrans' failures to maintain vacant and occupied properties in a safe and habitable condition.

"My constituents have shared with me alarming examples of neglect and mismanagement, including ongoing pest issues, serious mold problems, and unresolved structural hazards that have not been properly addressed," said Senator Sasha Renée Pérez (D-Pasadena). "State government should function to serve the people. Instead, residents have encountered a lack of transparency and inconsistent enforcement of policies that have severely impacted tenants' health, financial stability, and access to affordable housing. I am calling for an independent state audit to fully understand the depth of these complaints and to hold Caltrans accountable to do better for the people of California."

"For too long, tenants along the 710 corridor have faced unsafe housing conditions, delayed maintenance, and a confusing, inconsistent path to homeownership," said Assemblymember Mike Fong (D-Alhambra). "The level of frustration from residents is undeniable-and our office shares that frustration after repeated attempts to get clear answers from Caltrans. This audit is critical to restoring accountability and ensuring these communities are treated fairly."

"My family and I have lived in this house for over 30 years. We raised three children here and have been active, committed members of this community. We love our home, and we love South Pasadena. Unfortunately, the sales process has been anything but fair or equitable and now we fear we may lose our home. We respectfully call for an independent audit of Caltrans to bring transparency and accountability to this process, and to address the clear inequities facing families like ours," said Page Phillips, South Pasadena resident and Caltrans tenant.

"These are families who were promised stability and a pathway forward. Instead, they've been left with uncertainty and shifting rules. We owe them a process that is clear, accountable, and grounded in the public purpose these properties were meant to serve," said South Pasadena Mayor Sheila Rossi.

"I'm deeply grateful that Senator Pérez is calling for this independent investigation. Regrettably, previous audits by then-state Senator Adam Schiff in the early 2000s and then-state Senator Anthony Portantino in 2012 found widespread mismanagement of the "Caltrans homes" by Caltrans' Right of Way Division. This is unsurprising, given that Caltrans is a transportation agency, not a professional property manager or landlord. With the proposed 710 freeway extension rejected long ago, and the 710 'stump' having been relinquished to Pasadena, state law plainly calls for the reconveyance of these homes to qualified tenants and nonprofits. Instead, the Right of Way Division continues to hold these valuable but rapidly depreciating properties, like the apocryphal soldier on an island fighting a war that ended long ago. Enough is enough. At a time when affordability and especially affordable housing is needed more than ever by the community, Caltrans should comply with state law and transfer title to these properties as provided for by state law. Again, I am deeply grateful to Senator Pérez for her leadership," said Pasadena City Councilmember Steve Madison.

Assemblymember John Harabedian (D - Pasadena) is the Chair of the Joint Legislative Audit Committee that will consider the request for an audit during a public meeting on March 24.

"The numerous tenants in SR 710 properties who have reached out to my office for help aren't asking for much, just a safe and dignified place to live and a clear path to affordable homeownership they have been promised under the law," said Assemblymember John Harabedian (D - Pasadena). "Caltrans has a duty as my constituents' landlord to adequately maintain these properties and provide transparency in the sales process, and anything less than that is simply unacceptable. I thank my colleagues for their partnership in advocating for our community and look forward to formally reviewing this important audit request when it is heard in the Joint Legislative Audit Committee next week."

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Senator Sasha Renée Pérez is Chair of the Senate Education Committee and represents the 25th Senate District that includes the communities of Glendale, Pasadena, Alhambra, Altadena, Arcadia, Claremont, Glendora, La Cañada Flintridge, La Crescenta-Montrose, Monrovia, Monterey Park, Rosemead, San Gabriel, San Marino, Sierra Madre, South Pasadena, Temple City, Fontana, Rancho Cucamonga, Upland, and San Antonio Heights.

Assemblymember Mike Fong represents the 49th Assembly District, which includes the cities of Alhambra, Arcadia, El Monte, Monterey Park, Rosemead, San Gabriel, San Marino, South Pasadena and Temple City, and the unincorporated areas of Pasadena and San Gabriel. He serves as the Chair of the Assembly Higher Education Committee and Chair of the Asian American & Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus.