A $2 million grant from the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Regional Housing Trust will fund an affordable housing development focused on helping homeless youths in Pasadena, city officials announced Wednesday.
The housing trust Board of Directors approved the grant to the city at their Aug. 11 meeting to support The Starr at 231 N. Hill Ave., near Walnut Street and the 210 Freeway. Officials said the city will use the grant “to provide a $2 million construction-to-permanent loan” to developer Abbey Road.
The project calls for two staff units and 55 affordable housing units that aim to provide “affordable, safe, and secure housing to homeless and Transitional Age Youth,” according to the city. The TAY age range is 16-25 and “is considered a critical developmental stage, characterized by changes in social roles, family and peer support, and exposure to substance use.”
Penny Lane, a service provider with expertise assisting youth, will provide on-site case management services to Starr residents and serve as a liaison between residents and property management. Officials said the stable housing environment and critical services offered will enable residents to pursue education and employment opportunities and develop skills to maintain long-term housing stability.
Money from the regional trust is The Starr’s first major funding commitment. Officials said the trust grant puts the project in a strong position to seek very competitive funding sources for affordable housing that prioritize projects with existing financial stakes.
Transitional age youth remain in need of an expanded supply of secure housing, according to the city. The 2025 Point-in-Time Homeless Count identified 36 TAY city residents experiencing homelessness, which is about 6% of Pasadena’s unhoused population.
The Trust addresses housing needs in the tri-city area utilizing by seeking out and filling missing resources and expanding affordable housing.
Pasadena Vice Mayor Jess Rivas, a member of the housing trust board, voiced support for the project.
“I am proud that we are tackling the affordable housing shortage head on by funding affordable housing for vulnerable young adults,” Rivas said in a statement. “This is how we directly help our residents and reduce homelessness.”
Pasadena Housing Director James Wong said in a statement, “This funding commitment from the Trust significantly enhances the developer’s competitiveness to obtain other funding sources and make the development of this critical project financially viable.”
The regional housing trust was formed in 2022 under Senate Bill 1177 authored by then-state Sen. Anthony Portantino, D-Glendale. Officials said it was created to fund housing to assist families with extremely low to moderate incomes and individuals experiencing homelessness.
Initially the trust received $23 million in state funding. The three cities are eligible to use $6.9 million of the award for housing projects.
