Thursday, August 20, 2026

Altadena Rebuilding Advances, but Only 2% of Projects Completed

By ANDRÈ COLEMAN, Managing Editor

[photo credit: Supervisor Kathryn Barger]

Alex Athenson, a local architect and co-founder of the nonprofit Foothill Catalog Foundation, said about 57% of impacted single-family lots have submitted some type of permit, while 43% have no recorded permit progress.

“That’s really great news, but it’s also, there’s a long way to go,” Athenson told the council.

Athenson said the figures were drawn from publicly available Los Angeles County data analyzed by the organization. He cautioned that submitting a permit represents only one step in a lengthy process that runs from planning through construction and ultimately returning residents to their homes.

More than 3,000 permits have been applied for, but just 91 projects, or about 2%, have been completed, Athenson said.

“What that tells us is that construction is difficult,” he said. “That journey is long and it is fraught with risk.”

The data also suggest that many of the homes being rebuilt will be larger than those they replace. Athenson said proposed rebuilds average about 402 square feet more than the square footage previously recorded by the assessor. That calculation does not include the 35% of projects that include accessory dwelling units.

Athenson said permit applications peaked in September and have declined fairly consistently month over month since then. The Foothill Catalog Foundation is attempting to maintain rebuilding momentum by offering standardized, pre-approved designs intended to reduce costs and shorten the path to construction.

Founded by Athenson and his wife, Cynthia, who are both architects, the foundation has developed more than 70 home, accessory dwelling unit and garage designs pre-approved by Los Angeles County. Athenson described the program as a “21st century Sears catalog” designed specifically for Altadena.

The plans include architectural, structural, mechanical, electrical and plumbing work, along with Title 24 requirements. A site plan must still be prepared for the individual property.

The foundation has provided direct consultations to 284 families, with 101 families signed on to move forward. Athenson said 43 of the organization’s designs are currently under construction in Altadena.

The organization is also working with San Gabriel Valley Habitat for Humanity to help income-qualified families rebuild. Athenson said Habitat can provide gap financing and funding while allowing qualifying families to choose among the catalog’s more than 70 designs, provided the selected home fits the property.

Athenson said about 20 projects are under construction through that partnership and that a second family working with the program was scheduled to move back into a home Wednesday.

The numbers, he said, show both the momentum of Altadena’s recovery and the considerable amount of rebuilding still ahead.