Statement Regarding the Pasadena Improvement Association

The City of Pasadena has recently initiated thoughtful conversations about our elected leadership's role in the Pasadena Improvement Association, which advocated for the broad adoption of racially restrictive housing covenants in the 1930s and 1940s. That meaningful dialogue led the attorneys of Hahn & Hahn to examine the role our firm played in this reprehensible part of Pasadena's history. We learned that attorneys at our firm at that time were involved in advising the City and the Pasadena Improvement Association on implementing the restrictive covenants. These actions are antithetical to the values of the firm we strive to be. The attorneys of today's Hahn & Hahn, certified as a majority Women & Minority Owned Business Enterprise in 2017, unreservedly condemn Pasadena's history of racist housing policies and our firm’s participation. Today, more than 85 percent of Hahn & Hahn personnel identify as female, BIPOC, and/or LGBTQ+.

For the past several months, we have brought together the existing Pasadena organizations that participated in the Pasadena Improvement Association and organizations representing the historically marginalized communities most adversely impacted by Pasadena's housing policies and convened an ongoing dialogue. This group will likely develop and implement proactive measures which aim to alleviate the historical effects of housing discrimination in our community and support existing programs that address racial disparities in housing and home ownership.