After a nationwide search that attracted many well-qualified candidates, City Manager Miguel Márquez has selected James (Jim) Wong to be the next Director of Housing with the City of Pasadena effective Monday, March 24, 2025. Wong will oversee a department with an annual budget of $46.3 million and 91 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees.
Wong brings over four decades of experience in housing programs and administration, thirty-five of which have been at the City of Pasadena. He was most recently serving as Acting Director of Housing and prior to that, as a Senior Project Manager since 2004. He has been with the City of Pasadena since 1990, when he began as a Program Coordinator III where he administered a homebuyer assistance loan program. The City of Pasadena welcomes Wong to his new role as Director of Housing and looks forward to the continued excellence he will bring to the department and the community.
Wong has a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics and a Master’s Degree in Architecture and Urban Planning from UCLA. Wong is an avid music collector and enjoys scouring used vinyl bins in Pasadena.
“Jim will be a tremendous asset to our City as the Director of Housing due to his strong background in housing administration, a proven track record of delivering critical housing programs, and being a respected presence within the regional housing community. Jim works effectively with both the community he serves and his team, leveraging their collective expertise to develop creative solutions to our many complicated housing challenges,” said City Manager Miguel Márquez.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to continue serving the City of Pasadena in this new capacity,” said Wong.