Friday, July 3, 2026

Bill Shielding Altadena From Development Pressure Clears Two Assembly Committees

[photo credit: Senator Sasha Renée Pérez]

Pérez-authored measure would pause state density laws in the fire-scarred community

A bill that would pause two state housing density laws in Altadena passed two Assembly committees Wednesday, advancing an effort to keep real estate speculators from using those laws to develop the fire-damaged community in ways that could alter it as residents rebuild.

Senate Bill 1090, known as the Keep Altadena Land in Altadena Hands Act, would establish a temporary moratorium on SB 9 and SB 1123, state laws that allow increased residential density, including lot splits that permit construction of additional housing units on certain single-family properties. State Sen. Sasha Renée Pérez, D-Pasadena, authored the bill after Altadena residents raised concerns that, following the Eaton Fire, the laws were being used to acquire fire-damaged properties for higher-density development at a scale that could overwhelm the community’s infrastructure.

The bill passed the Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee on a vote of 11-1 and the Assembly Local Government Committee on a vote of 10-0, according to a statement from Pérez’s office. It now moves to the full Assembly for consideration.

A similar moratorium already protects survivors of the Palisades Fire, under an executive order from Gov. Gavin Newsom that temporarily suspended the same density laws to provide stability during recovery. But that order applies only to areas designated High Fire Hazard Severity Zones, a category that does not include large portions of Altadena, according to Pérez’s office.

Assemblymember John Harabedian, D-Pasadena, is a principal co-author of the bill. Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, whose Fifth District includes Altadena, is sponsoring the legislation and testified in support of it.

“Altadena residents want equitable treatment in their recovery. I am grateful to my colleagues for supporting Eaton Fire survivors with their votes to pass SB 1090,” Pérez said in a statement released after the vote. “This is community-driven legislation that puts the needs of Altadena first.”

Harabedian, in the same statement, said the bill would help ensure “that Altadena’s recovery is guided by the residents, families, and survivors who call this community home.” Nic Arnzen, chair of the Altadena Town Council, said in the statement, “It should not be easier for an outside developer to build what they like than it is for a fire survivor to build back what they lost.”

“These committee votes are an important step toward ensuring that the families of Altadena have a fair opportunity to rebuild their community,” Barger said in the statement.

“SB 1090 recognizes that California can continue addressing its housing needs while also giving wildfire survivors the time and stability they need to recover. I appreciate Senator Pérez’s leadership on SB 1090 and am thankful that the legislators who supported this bill recognized that disaster recovery and housing production are not mutually exclusive — they can and should go hand in hand.”