Several vacant Caltrans-owned homes in Pasadena are now available for sale to the public in an effort to add more affordable housing, city officials announced Monday.
Officials said the sale of the properties will provide the city with a funding source for the acquisition or construction of affordable housing units.
On June 23, the City Council OK’d the sale of 17 vacant properties acquired or set to be acquired from Caltrans under a 2022 state law. The 17 properties were targeted for demolition in connection with the construction of the State Route 710 North project.
Caltrans had acquired the land decades ago as part of a plan to extend the Long Beach (710) Freeway through South Pasadena, Pasadena and El Sereno. That plan was abandoned and Senate Bill 959 enabled Caltrans to sell the city the unoccupied homes at Caltrans’ original acquisition prices.
The city now can sell the homes at fair market value, with the proceeds required to be used for constructing or acquiring affordable housing at a 3-to-1 ratio for every vacant Caltrans property purchased, according to a consortium of local realtors handling the sales on the city’s behalf.
The city must use the money generated from the land sales for affordable housing by Dec. 31, 2026, officials said.
City staff is working with local brokers from DPP Compass, Sotheby’s International Realty and Mutual Realty Consultants to develop a marketing and sales strategy for selling the properties at fair market value.
“We are excited that these properties are finally going to market to generate much-needed affordable housing funds,” Pasadena Housing Director James Wong said in a statement.
All properties will be sold “as-is” in their current condition, officials said. Sold properties will be subject to deed restrictions, requiring the buyer to make repairs and ensure occupancy within reasonable timeframes.
“Pasadena’s architectural beauty has always reflected its civic spirit, and today’s release of these homes is a moment to rise to the challenge with heart,” Michael Slaughter of Mutual Realty Consultants said in a statement. “This is more than real estate; it is about renewal, stewardship, and ensuring that these properties once again serve families and strengthen the community. Being entrusted with that responsibility is both humbling and inspiring.”
Bill Podley from DPP Compass noted that “after decades of sitting vacant, 13 Caltrans homes are finally being offered to the public, giving potential buyers the opportunity to restore properties within designated historical sections of the city, bringing them back to life and enhancing the neighborhoods in which they’re situated in the process,” he said in a statement.
“Pasadena has long been known for its architectural legacy, and these homes have been eagerly awaited by the public,” Michael B. Bell from Sotheby’s added. “To be entrusted with presenting them to the market is both a privilege and a responsibility that I take very seriously.”
Information about the home-sales process for the properties is at PasadenaCaltransProperties.com. Virtual viewings, photographs and individual property information are also available there.
Officials said showings will be scheduled at predetermined times when “the outlined showing requirements are met.”
Properties listed in Monday were:
- 269 Palmetto Drive — Michael Slaughter, Mutual Realty Consultants
- 696 St. John Ave. — Michael Slaughter, Mutual Realty Consultants
- 734 St. John Ave. — Michael Slaughter, Mutual Realty Consultants
- 888 Pasadena Ave. — Michael B. Bell, Sotheby’s International Realty
- 894 & 894B Pasadena Ave. — Michael B. Bell, Sotheby’s International Realty
- 1112 Pasadena Ave. — Michael B. Bell, Sotheby’s International Realty
- 1200 Pasadena Ave. — Bill Podley and team, DPP Compass
- 215 Madeline Drive — Michael B. Bell, Sotheby’s International Realty
- 218 Madeline Drive — Bill Podley and team, DPP Compass
- 225 State St. — Bill Podley and team, DPP Compass
Marketing for the additional three addresses were excepted to start in October:
- 584 St. John Ave. and 230/230 A California Blvd. — Michael Slaughter, Mutual Realty Consultants
- 180 State St. — Bill Podley and team, DPP Compass
- 237 State St. — Bill Podley and team, DPP Compass
Officials said additional homes have been or will be sold to their tenants, and some will be sold to nonprofit organizations. Addresses for those properties were not available. City staff also has identified four smaller, nonhistoric properties as potentially suitable for affordable homeownership.
