Pasadena Council Revives Safe Parking Proposal, Seeks Alternative Sites

The council voted to reconsider a previously stalled plan to allow overnight parking for people living in vehicles, while also directing staff to explore additional locations.

Jan. 27, 2026 at 9:15pm

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The Pasadena City Council voted to revive a previously stalled safe-parking proposal tied to All Saints Church, reopening debate over whether and where the city should allow people living in their vehicles to park overnight legally. Councilmember Steve Madison called for the item to return to the council agenda, seeking to undo a November decision that closed the public hearing without enough votes to move the proposal forward. The council also directed staff to explore additional safe-parking locations throughout Pasadena and return with alternatives for consideration.

Why it matters

Pasadena, like many Southern California cities, continues to confront visible vehicle habitation and rising homelessness pressures. Safe-parking programs are seen as a way to offer a structured, monitored option for people who otherwise sleep in cars on city streets, though critics have raised concerns about neighborhood impacts, public safety and the concentration of services.

The details

The proposal involves allowing a church parking lot to be used as a designated overnight site for people living in vehicles—a model increasingly adopted by cities as a homelessness mitigation strategy that typically pairs parking access with case management and social services. While Monday's discussion did not address program operations, it quickly expanded beyond the single site, with Mayor Victor Gordo urging the council to avoid concentrating the program in one neighborhood and calling for a broader examination of possible locations, including city-owned property.

  • The City Council voted on the issue on Monday, January 28, 2026.
  • The item will be heard at the new homeless committee chaired by Gordo on Feb. 4, 2026.
  • The All Saints Safe Parking program motion will be heard next Monday.

The players

Steve Madison

A Pasadena City Councilmember who called for the previously stalled safe-parking proposal to be reconsidered.

Victor Gordo

The Mayor of Pasadena who urged the council to avoid concentrating the safe-parking program in one neighborhood and called for a broader examination of possible locations, including city-owned property.

Tyron Hampton

A Pasadena City Councilmember who opposed the safe-parking proposal in November.

Justin Jones

A Pasadena City Councilmember who opposed the safe-parking proposal in November.

All Saints Church

The church whose parking lot was proposed as the designated overnight site for people living in vehicles.

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What they’re saying

“I would like now to move that we place that item on the city council's agenda … and reopen and set a continued public hearing.”

— Steve Madison, Pasadena City Councilmember (pasadenanow.com)

“I would ask that if the council does support the motion … that we have alternatives before us that don't concentrate [the program] in one area.”

— Victor Gordo, Mayor of Pasadena (pasadenanow.com)

What’s next

The item will be heard at the new homeless committee chaired by Gordo on Feb. 4, 2026, and the All Saints Safe Parking program motion will be heard next Monday.

The takeaway

Pasadena's efforts to address homelessness and vehicle habitation continue, with the city council seeking to balance the need for safe-parking options with concerns about neighborhood impacts and the concentration of services. The council's decision to explore alternative sites beyond the initial All Saints Church proposal reflects an effort to find a more equitable solution.