This year's annual event took place on Saturday, December 7, at the Pasadena Mennonite Church, 1041 N Altadena Dr, Pasadena, CA. This was time for celebrating our achievements and honoring those who have helped make affordable housing happen.
AFFORDABLE HOUSING ROCK STARS
to be honored in 2024
William ("Bill") Huang, director of Pasadena's Housing Department, who is retiring after 15 years of extraordinary service, will be our keynote speaker and recipient of John J. Kennedy Legacy Award, named after our beloved city council member who passed in 2022.
Jasmin Shuper, founder of the Greenline Foundation, which provides down payment grants, home maintenance grants, and financial education to qualified people of color to help restore racial justice.
Pastor Sharon Richter, Trinity Lutheran Church, who started the first Safe Parking Program in Pasadena (and the San Gabriel Valley!), enabling people living in their vehicles to have a safe place to park overnight while receiving services to help them to find jobs, receive needed care and support, and become permanently housed.
Blair Miller, affordable housing expert and advocate, Principal Project Coordinator at City of Los Angeles - Office of the City Administrative Officer (CAO). She has served on the Pasadena Planning Commission and the Complete Streets Coalition.
Gone for Good? Negotiating the Coming Wave of Church Property Transition is now available.
This collection of essays sheds light on how church communities can transform their properties to serve their neighborhoods. It contains a chapter written by Phil Burns, Andre White and Jill Shook--members of the Congregational Land Committee--about having affordable housing built on religious land. To order your book, click here.
Other essays explore spiritual, sociological, and practical aspects of church property transition, including:
• assessing the impacts of churches on their neighborhoods - and the gaps they will leave behind
• developing church property into affordable housing
• transforming ministry in rural churches
• partnering with Indigenous peoples to return land
• fostering cooperation between churches, developers, and city planners
• navigating zoning laws
• working with foundations and funders
Check out our latest Housing Justice Forum on Ballot Measures: