Tuesday, March 17, 2026

County Board Mulls Extending Rent Protections, Approving Pasadena Humane Deal for Altadena

Nearly $5 million in state homebuyer aid and continued fire-recovery contracts also on Tuesday’s agenda

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors will vote Tuesday on extending anti-price-gouging protections for wildfire-displaced renters and formalizing a no-cost agreement with Pasadena Humane to continue animal care and control services in Altadena and surrounding unincorporated communities.

The items are among several on the March 17 agenda that directly affect Altadena residents still contending with the aftermath of the Eaton Fire, which destroyed more than 9,400 structures beginning January 7, 2025. The Board will also consider accepting nearly $5 million in state funds for homebuyer downpayment assistance, adopting new street sweeping traffic regulations in Altadena, and continuing emergency fire-recovery contracts.

The price gouging extension, submitted by Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath, would push protections through April 28, 2026, under California Penal Code Section 396. The provision caps rent increases at 10 percent above pre-emergency levels and prohibits excessive hotel and motel rates. The motion also proposes raising the rental price formula for housing not rented within one year before the emergency from 160 percent to 200 percent of fair market rent set by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

“Wildfire survivors remain displaced and in temporary housing one year after last year’s devastating wildfires,” Horvath said in a statement in February when the Board approved the previous 30-day extension. “The need to protect our communities from price gouging remains, and so does LA County’s commitment to continuing these essential protections.”

As of the most recent extension vote, the Department of Consumer and Business Affairs was investigating 1,885 price gouging cases, had issued more than 2,000 cease-and-desist orders, and secured $335,000 in tenant restitution, according to a county press release. More than 260 cases had been referred for possible civil or criminal prosecution. A Department of Angels survey found that 65 percent of Altadena residents remained in temporary housing.

The Pasadena Humane agreement, listed as Agenda Item 49, would replace the existing Proposition A contract with a Memorandum of Understanding running through June 30, 2027. Under the MOU, Pasadena Humane would provide 24-hour animal care and control services in Altadena, La Crescenta, East Pasadena, and San Pasqual at no cost to the county. Pasadena Humane will manage all program expenses independently. The county estimates the waived service fees save more than $672,000 annually, according to a county community services cluster meeting document.

Pasadena Humane, located at 361 S. Raymond Ave. in Pasadena, already serves 11 communities in the area including the city of Pasadena. The county’s closest animal care center is in Baldwin Park, 18 miles from Altadena.

Separately, Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who represents Altadena in the Fifth District, submitted a motion to accept up to $4,999,675 in State CalHome Program funds. The money would provide downpayment assistance to households affected by the January 2025 wildfires or other disasters in Los Angeles County.

The agenda also includes two items continuing emergency contract authority related to the Eaton Fire for the Departments of Internal Services and Public Works. Both items require the Board to find that the January 2025 fire events continue to constitute an emergency.

A report on the implementation of the Department of Homeless Services and Housing, which launched January 1, 2026, is scheduled as a set matter at 11 a.m. The report was continued from the December 9, 2025, meeting.

The Board meets at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday at the Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration, 500 West Temple St., Board Hearing Room 381B, Los Angeles. The public may attend in person, participate remotely via Webex at www.bos.lacounty.gov, or call (213) 306-3065 using access code 2534 573 2211 and password 2672026. Written comments may be submitted at publiccomment.bos.lacounty.gov. A listen-only line is available at (877) 873-8017, access code 111111 for English or 222222 for Spanish.

“Even though it’s been over a year since the wildfires, many survivors are still struggling,” Barger said last week in a statement about Altadena recovery efforts. The Board’s Tuesday agenda suggests that struggle extends into the county’s most routine business — from who picks up a stray dog to whether a landlord can raise the rent.