Monday, July 6, 2026

FEMA Pushes Back Housing Aid Deadline for Eaton Fire Survivors to 2027

Homeowners get another year of rental assistance; renters get three more months, after monthslong pressure from state officials

Homeowners displaced by last year’s Eaton Fire will now have until July 9, 2027, to keep receiving federal rental assistance, after the Federal Emergency Management Agency extended a deadline that had been set to expire this Thursday.

FEMA approved the extension June 24, according to a statement from Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office, following requests from the governor, California’s congressional delegation and local officials who argued that many fire survivors still face obstacles beyond their control. Eligible renters received a shorter extension, through October 9, 2026.

The change affects households working through FEMA’s Continued Temporary Housing Assistance program, which had covered rent and utility costs for people whose homes were destroyed or made unsafe by the January 2025 wildfires. The Eaton Fire alone destroyed more than 9,000 structures in Altadena. Under the prior timeline, that housing aid was set to run out 18 months after the disaster was declared — July 9, 2026.

As of June 12, more than 35,000 households had received assistance through FEMA’s broader Individuals and Households Program, with more than $177 million awarded, according to the governor’s office. More than 1,200 households have received Continued Temporary Housing Assistance since the disaster.

In its approval letter, FEMA cited ongoing barriers facing survivors, including unresolved insurance claims, underinsurance, contractor and labor shortages, and delays in rebuilding, the governor’s office said.

“Recovery doesn’t end when the headlines fade,” Newsom said in the statement.

Cal OES Director Caroline Thomas Jacobs said in the same statement that the extension would provide “critical stability for families” as they work with insurers, contractors and rebuilding plans.

To qualify for Continued Temporary Housing Assistance, applicants must have registered with FEMA before the initial application deadline of March 31, 2025, already been awarded initial FEMA rental assistance, be unable to safely return to their pre-fire home, and show they are actively working toward a permanent housing plan, such as rebuilding or securing other long-term housing, according to FEMA and Cal OES guidance. FEMA’s Rental Assistance funds a security deposit and rent for a dwelling other than the applicant’s damaged home. Applicants who received initial rental assistance are typically mailed a continuation form about 15 days after that grant is approved; those who don’t receive one can call FEMA’s helpline at 800-621-3362.

Applicants can return CTHA request forms and supporting documents to FEMA by uploading them to their disaster assistance account at DisasterAssistance.gov, by mail to FEMA, P.O. Box 10055, Hyattsville, MD 20782-8055, by fax to 800-827-8112, by phone at 800-621-3362, or through the FEMA App.

Local resources remain available for Altadena residents navigating the process, including the Altadena Community Center at 730 E. Altadena Drive and The Collaboratory at 540 W. Woodbury Road, a hub run by the Eaton Fire Collaborative that connects survivors with recovery organizations. The City of Pasadena also maintains a recovery resource page directing residents to FEMA and state housing programs.

State officials said they continue to press FEMA and Congress for additional long-term recovery funding for Altadena, Pacific Palisades and Malibu, including federal block grants that would give local governments more flexibility in funding rebuilding efforts.