ALTADENA, CA — A free resource fair set for Saturday in Altadena will connect renters displaced by the 2025 Eaton, Palisades and Malibu fires with housing assistance, legal services, case management and mental health support.
Renter Recharge, part of Day One's DENA CARES program, will run from noon to 4 p.m. at the Loma Alta Park Gymnasium, 3330 Sunset Ridge Road. Day One is a nonprofit that works with San Gabriel Valley communities.
The event follows the Oct. 9 expiration of federal rental assistance for displaced renters, according to organizers. California had requested an additional 12 months of assistance for homeowners and renters, but the Federal Emergency Management Agency approved three additional months for renters. FEMA said renters had already received up to 18 months of assistance and sufficient resources were available in the rental market.
Organizers said no state, county or city program has been announced to replace the federal aid.
The loss of assistance comes as many displaced renters continue to face housing instability. Day One survey data covering 455 Eaton Fire renter households found that about 78% were not in stable, long-term housing.
As of Jan. 31, nearly three-quarters of recorded rental units within the Eaton Fire perimeter were on properties without a rebuilding permit, sale or listing, according to the UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute.
"Overwhelmingly, the renters we work with struggled to get FEMA approvals or dollars in the first place, so this resource was never sufficient," said Lisa Odigie of Day One, who chairs the Eaton Fire Collaborative's Emergency Housing and Stabilization Committee. "Now even that door has closed, and the need for housing has not ended.
"Renters shouldn't have to go office to office to find out what help is left, so we're bringing that help into one room," she said.
Representatives from Los Angeles County's departments of Consumer and Business Affairs, Public Social Services, Mental Health, and Aging and Disabilities are expected to attend.
Housing and rental resources will be available from Neighborhood Housing Services of Los Angeles County, Union Station, Door of Hope, Affordable Living for the Aging, Beacon Housing, Pasadena's Housing Department, Evolve Realty and Development, Barker Management, Altadena Earthseed Community Land Trust, Foothill Catalog Foundation and 211.
Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles, Housing Rights Center, Eaton & Palisades Fires Renters Coalition, CHIRLA and Eaton Fire Residents United will provide legal resources. Space will be available for private consultations.
Case management and essential services will be offered by the Eaton Fire Collaborative, Legacy Land Project, Operation Hope, 4th Trimester, St. Vincent de Paul and Project Passion.
Wellness and family programming will include services and activities from AltaMed, Armory Center for the Arts, Clarissa Ramsey Studio, Park on the Move and the Day One Teen Lounge, along with a sound bath by JessBeU. Food from Tacos Don Pillo and a DJ also are planned.
In June, the county Board of Supervisors established a single point of access for homelessness prevention services, with Eaton and Palisades fire survivors among the first groups targeted. Resources are available at lacounty.gov/prevention.
Registration is encouraged at bit.ly/renterrecharge. Registered attendees are eligible for a free Baby2Baby gift bag while supplies last, organizers said.
Sign up for free local newsletters and alerts for the
Altadena Patch
Patch.com is the nationwide leader in hyperlocal news.
Visit Patch.com to find your town today.