- Arcadia Expands For-Sale Affordable Housing with North Village Project
- New Case Management Team to Support Unhoused and At-Risk
- Small Business Grants Available
- Samantha Alba Selected as Arcadia’s Library and Museum Services Director
- Annual Health Fair Returns at Arcadia Community Center
- Safety Spotlight: Inside APD’s Use of Cameras to Combat Crime
Arcadia Expands For-Sale Affordable Housing with North Village Project
The Arcadia City Council has approved plans for “North Village,” a new six-story, mixed-use condominium development that will add 130-units to the City’s housing inventory, including 20 affordable for-sale units and three-ground level commercial units.
The project will occupy 1.20 acres at 225 North 2nd Avenue and will merge two existing lots into one, including one lot that is currently occupied by Mt. Lowe Brewing Co. on the southwest corner of N. 2nd Ave. and E. Saint Joseph St. The development will reach a maximum height of 69 feet and will feature a mix of studio, one-bedroom, two-bedroom, and three-bedroom units, with two and three-bedroom floor plans making up most of the units.
Rendering of the North Village Project
The project has more than 17,000 square feet of shared open space and residential amenities that will include a gym, coworking office, club lounges, and other common and private open spaces. Residential parking will be gated and separated from the public parking garage. The project will provide 187 parking spaces for residents and 16 parking spaces for commercial use, along with electric vehicle charging spaces and bicycle racks.
A key part of the approval is the inclusion of 20 deed-restricted affordable units, which will be reserved for low-income households earning up to 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI) for Los Angeles County. These units will remain affordable for a minimum of 45 years, in compliance with Arcadia and state housing regulations. More information on Arcadia’s Inclusionary Housing Ordinance and LA County’s Income Limits per Household Size can be found on the City’s website.
The project will take a multi-phased approach with construction planned for January 2027, with model homes and commercial space expected to be complete by 2028.
New Case Management Team to Support Unhoused and At-Risk
Arcadia’s new Case Management Team, HERO Community Services
A new case management team is on board to help address housing instability for those experiencing or at-risk of homelessness in Arcadia. Last year, the City’s case management program recorded 2,905 interactions, with 244 first-time encounters and 2,661 follow-up visits, resulting in 89 housing placements. These repeat interactions demonstrate the ongoing support needed to help individuals navigate documentation, treatment, shelter options, and a path to long-term housing.
In June, the outreach team helped an Arcadia resident who had been living in her vehicle for several years, secure permanent housing. The first steps included obtaining proper identification, disability verification, benefits enrollment, and temporary housing. The team coordinated with housing agencies to address gaps in her case management, and ultimately, she moved into a permanent apartment with her cat after years of housing instability.
HERO Community Services will continue the City’s mission of reducing homelessness through dedicated street outreach and case management. HERO stands for Housing, Empowerment, Recovery, and Outreach, and will embed this vision in their work by meeting people where they are and building trust. Through this approach, the new team will connect people with available resources and outline a successful plan for long-term housing stability based on individual needs. In its first month of service, HERO placed one individual in an alcohol treatment program, connected another to shelter referred by the Arcadia Police Department, and enrolled six people in the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments rental-assistance program.
Services Available
HERO will continue to provide existing services and assistance programs, including case management, emergency services, and prevention services.
Case Management:
- Conduct street outreach.
- Provide individualized case management, housing navigation, mental health support, substance abuse services, benefit services, and referrals.
Emergency Services:
- The distribution of essential items.
- Financial assistance for housing application fees, security deposits, reunification expenses, and other short-term support.
Prevention Services:
- Resources for at-risk individuals.
- Includes connections to regional programs offering legal services and renter education, emergency rental assistance, and short-term income support.
Contact HERO
If you or someone you know in Arcadia is experiencing homelessness or is at risk of losing housing, please contact Arcadia’s case management team. Case Managers are available by phone at (626) 627-5384, by email at arcadia@herocommunityservices.org, or in person at the Arcadia Public Library, 20 West Duarte Road, on Wednesdays from 10am-1pm.
HERO’s three full-time case managers are available to assist seven days a week and will respond to requests and questions. Community members and businesses are encouraged to share this contact information with anyone in Arcadia who may need assistance. For emergencies, please call 9-1-1.
Small Business Grants Available
The City is offering limited-time grants to help support small businesses! Grant funds can be used to help new businesses open as well as support existing businesses with expansion. The New Business Assistance Program offers up to $15,000 for qualifying businesses and can be used for:
- Physical improvements to the business (interior or exterior)
- New exterior signage
- New outdoor seating and dining areas (food and beverage business only)
- Permit and application fees
- Other projects that help attract new customers
Before
After (funded by small business grant program)
Funded through American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars, all funds must be spent by December 2026. Applications are open while funding lasts. Guidelines and application materials are available at ArcadiaCA.gov/SmallBusiness.
Samantha Alba Selected as Arcadia’s Library and Museum Services Director
A new chapter begins for Arcadia and Samantha Alba, who will serve as the next director for Arcadia’s Library and Museum Services Department. Alba has been a valued member of the Arcadia team since 2014, advancing through several roles before being promoted to library services manager in 2022. She has more than 22 years of experience in library systems and brings a vision focused on employee development and community-centered innovation.
Alba holds a master’s degree in library and information science from San Jose State University and a bachelor’s degree in Latin American studies and sociology from the University of Nebraska at Omaha.
“I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to serve as the Director of Library and Museum Services. After more than 12 years with the City of Arcadia, I’m truly honored to continue working alongside our dedicated Library and Museum employees in serving our community. I look forward to embracing innovation and continuing to provide exceptional programs and services for our community,” said Library and Museum Services Director Samantha Alba.
During her tenure with Arcadia, Alba has played a key role in implementing new inventory technology for over 160,000 items using wireless tags to track items checked in and out of the library. She also led the continuation of library services during the COVID-19 pandemic for front door pickup and online library card registration. Alba will oversee both the Arcadia Public Library and the Gilb Museum.
Annual Health Fair Returns at Arcadia Community Center
Join us on Saturday, September 12, 2026, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Arcadia Community Center for the annual Health Fair. Stop by for free flu shots (while supplies last), doctor consultations, medical information booths, and a variety of health screenings such as mammograms, menopause, body fat analysis, glucose and cholesterol, dental, and diabetic retinopathy. Please note that some screenings require pre-registration.
The Health Fair is sponsored by USC Arcadia Hospital, Keck Medicine of USC, Huntington Health, Kaiser Permanente, and Molina Healthcare. For more information, please visit ArcadiaCA.gov/Recreation or call the Arcadia Recreation Office at (626) 574-5113.
Safety Spotlight: Inside APD’s Use of Cameras to Combat Crime
Public safety remains a priority for the City, and the Arcadia Police Department leverages advanced camera technology to quickly identify and stop criminal activity. In 2025, Arcadia’s crime data shows motor vehicle thefts and residential burglaries declining, which can be attributed to an advanced camera network that does what no officer can do alone. Beyond vehicle theft and burglary, the camera network also assists with robberies, assaults, hit-and-run collisions, and organized retail theft.
To combat crime, Arcadia Police maintain three mobile surveillance trailers and license plate reader technology, all which help deter theft, vandalism, and quickly identify vehicles tied to a crime. The visible presence of these cameras alone also serve as a deterrent, as criminals are less likely to target areas where their vehicle could be identified and linked back to them.
The mobile surveillance trailers are often deployed in parking lots and high-traffic areas that experience vehicle theft and break-ins. Police also use an advanced network of Automated License Plate Readers (ALPR) to quickly track suspect vehicles and share critical information with local law enforcement partners, all with strict privacy and safeguards in place.
Arcadia’s camera system is not used for federal surveillance or federal information sharing. Information about vehicles captured on public roadways include license plate numbers, the date and time of detection, vehicle make, color, and model. State law limits ALPR use to legitimate criminal investigations and prohibit access for immigration enforcement or searches related to lawful reproductive healthcare. Arcadia’s footage is not accessible by the public, is only shared with agencies Arcadia PD has specifically authorized, and is deleted after 30 days unless being used as evidence in a criminal investigation. This combination of rapid local response and carefully managed data ensures Arcadia can effectively respond to crime while balancing privacy and public safety.
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Flock Does |
Flock Does Not |
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Help solve crimes |
Spy on residents |
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Locate stolen vehicles |
Use facial recognition |
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Assist with missing persons |
Record audio conversations |
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Provide investigative leads |
Monitor an individual’s daily movements |
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Share information for legitimate criminal investigations |
Conduct mass surveillance of law-abiding citizens |
One recent success story involved a vehicle burglary suspect identified through a FLOCK alert. The incident began when officers received notification of a wanted felony vehicle connected to a June 13 burglary. The vehicle information was entered into a regional law enforcement database. Officers located the suspect vehicle within days, and Arcadia Police Detectives took the registered owner into custody for burglary and identity theft charges.
In a second case, officers responded to a FLOCK alert near Baldwin Ave and Fairview Ave, which was tied to a suspect vehicle involved in a bank "jugging" theft from this past April. Officers located the vehicle in a nearby bank parking lot, surveilled it, and initiated a stop once it left the lot, resulting in two arrests.
