Pasadena could get its first year-round homeless shelter with up to 100 beds, separate rooms instead of open dormitories, and on-site services including case management and housing navigation, with a target stay of three to six months.

The Housing, Homelessness and Planning Committee will hold a kick-off discussion on the proposal at 5 p.m. Wednesday, August 5, in the Council Chamber, Room S249, at Pasadena City Hall, 100 North Garfield Ave. The meeting is open to the public in person and via Zoom.

Staff will ask committee members to weigh in on two threshold questions: how quickly the city should aim to open a shelter, and what it should look like.

What staff recommend

City staff laid out a preliminary blueprint in a report to the committee, according to Pasadena Now. The proposal calls for:

• Up to 100 beds in a non-congregate design, meaning separate rooms or a "tiny village" concept rather than rows of cots
• A low-barrier model open to single adults, with men and women in separate sleeping quarters
• A target stay of 90 to 180 days
• On-site case management, housing navigation, and potentially physical and behavioral health services
• A commercial kitchen to reduce operating costs

Staff emphasized these are preliminary estimates meant to guide discussion. Final decisions depend on further study and City Council direction.

Rose Palace under consideration

An interdepartmental team led by the City Manager's Office is studying Rose Palace as a potential site, with other locations to be evaluated for comparison. The team draws on six city departments including Housing, Public Works, and Parks and Recreation.

The site sits in the Raymond and Fillmore corridor, roughly half a mile from Union Station Homeless Services' existing Adult Center on Raymond Avenue. In a July 13 guest opinion in Pasadena Now, Pasadena resident Erika Foy argued the corridor shouldn't be viewed as simply available space, citing planned development including The Affinity project and Huntington Hospital's nearby investment.

Why now

The City Council named a year-round shelter one of its top five priorities in the fiscal year 2027 budget. A work plan was presented during budget discussions on Monday, June 8.

The 2026 Point-in-Time Homeless Count, conducted January 21, found 322 people living unsheltered in Pasadena. All were single adults. The broader count tallied 577 people total, the highest since 2018, with one-third of those surveyed saying the Eaton Fire affected their housing.

Meanwhile, the wait for interim housing at Union Station Homeless Services now runs about a year, according to Pasadena Now. The organization faces an $8 million government funding cut, representing 20% of its budget.

"I think this is the tip of the iceberg … Unless things turn around significantly, next year's going to be worse and the next year's going to be worse," Katie Hill, CEO of Union Station Homeless Services, told the Pasadena Star-News on July 24.

Houston model as reference

Staff pointed to Houston's 419 Emancipation "Super Hub" as a reference. That facility opened in 2026 with 222 beds, a commercial kitchen, health clinic, and recreational space. Houston purchased the building for $16 million and budgeted up to $39 million for three years of operations. Pasadena staff said the concept could be examined on a smaller scale here.

What's next

The committee is advisory only. Its recommendations will go to the full City Council, which holds final authority on whether and how the shelter moves forward. Regular progress updates will appear as a standing item on future committee agendas.

Residents can attend the August 5 meeting in person, join via Zoom (Meeting ID: 161 482 446), or call 1-669-900-6833. For more information, call (626) 744-7311.