Jonathan Pacheco Bell, VP of Policy and Programs

Jonathan is an urban planner with two decades of experience in California working across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. For 14 years, he served as a Los Angeles Zoning Enforcement Officer building partnerships on the ground in communities of color. During this time, he witnessed the harms of inequitable zoning, inspiring him to create new forms of street-level housing advocacy. He brings this community-rooted mindset to his policy and programs work at Casita Coalition. Jonathan’s dedication to advocacy has earned him industry accolades, including the Planning Advocate Award from APA Los Angeles and Planning Pioneer Award from APA Inland Empire in 2024. He holds an MA in Urban Planning from UCLA Luskin along with degrees in architecture and political science.