The Pasadena Rental Housing Board elected a chair and vice chair last month, and on Tuesday city officials provided background information on the new leadership and the board’s current top priorities.
Board member Allison Henry, the tenant representative from District 3, was elected chair, and at-large member Lourdes Gonzalez was elected vice chair. Henry’s term is through May 2029, and Gonzalez will serve through May 2027.
The board’s mission is “to ensure housing stability and fairness for Pasadena residents,” officials said.
Henry has extensive experience in housing advocacy, public policy and civic engagement, according to a city statement. She was a lead author of the Fair and Equitable Housing Article XVIII of Pasadena’s city charter and wrote the chapters related to the Rental Housing Board and the city’s Rental Registry.
Henry most recently served as the lead organizer in San Gabriel Valley for the LA Forward Institute, a nonprofit organization, where she expanded the institute’s reach, hosted voter education events and co-created leadership development programs, according to her LinkedIn profile. She has worked with numerous regional housing organizations and coalitions and co-founded the San Gabriel Valley Tenants’ Alliance and Monrovia Housing and Tenants Advocates.
Henry also served on Pasadena’s 2021 Housing Element Task Force and on the Garfield Heights Neighborhood Association Board, according to the city.
Gonzalez is a founding member of the Pasadena Rental Housing Board since its May 2023 inception. Officials said she contributes “a thoughtful and balanced perspective as both a policymaker and a local housing provider.”
Gonzalez lives in District 3, where she rents out a second dwelling on her property, officials said.
“She is committed to advancing housing policies that are fair, effective, and equitable for both tenants and property owners,” according to a city statement.
Gonzalez led emergency response efforts during the coronavirus pandemic as a program manager for the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services. That effort supported more than 40 temporary housing sites for people experiencing homelessness, officials said, adding that “her background in landlord-tenant engagement will continue to serve the Board as it navigates complex housing challenges across Pasadena.”
Board members and the Pasadena Rent Stabilization Department thanked outgoing Chair Ryan Bell and outgoing Vice Chair Brandon Lamar “for their exceptional leadership and dedication,” according to a city statement. Key milestones during their tenure include the implementation of the city’s Rent Stabilization Ordinance, the establishment of the Rental Registry, developing petition procedures for tenants and landlords and an ordinance adopted by the City Council earlier this year to protect tenants affected by the Eaton Fire.
“This leadership transition marks an exciting new chapter for the PRHB,” Helen Morales, director of the Rent Stabilization Department, said in a statement. “We look forward to working with Chair Henry and Vice Chair Gonzalez to advance the mission of the Board, strengthen renter protections, and continue supporting the rental housing community in Pasadena.”
The board’s top priority is achieving full compliance with the city’s Rental Registry by ensuring that every covered rental unit in Pasadena is properly registered, officials said.
“This effort is central to advancing transparency, enforcing rent stabilization policies, and delivering meaningful protections to both tenants and housing providers,” according to the city statement. Additional priorities are refining petition procedures, continuing outreach in Pasadena neighborhoods and enhancing policy that responds to public safety emergencies.
More information about the Rental Housing Board, meeting schedules and board activities is at CityOfPasadena.net/Commissions/Pasadena-Rental-Housing-Board.
