Friday, May 16, 2025

Pet-Owning Renters Face Housing Challenges After LA Wildfires

Housing crisis intensifies for displaced residents with animal companions

When the Eaton fire destroyed Katie Clark’s Altadena apartment in January, she lost more than just her home of 15 years. She and her husband joined thousands of renters suddenly competing for housing in an already challenging Los Angeles market, with an additional complication: their terrier, Ginger.

“There’s not a world in which we can go someplace without our dog. She’s part of our family,” Clark, an active member of the Altadena Tenants Union, said in an interview with Yes! magazine.

The Eaton and Palisades fires burned 37,000 acres around Los Angeles earlier this year, destroying nearly 17,000 structures and forcing numerous renters into a rental market that Clark describes as “unbelievably hostile under the best of circumstances.”

After a brief hotel stay, Clark’s family found housing in Pomona, about 40 minutes from Altadena. Despite the distance, Clark maintains strong ties to her community. “I don’t think of myself as leaving Altadena,” she told Yes! “I think of myself as temporarily displaced.”

The situation highlights a growing problem at the intersection of climate disasters and housing insecurity. Nationwide, 2.5 million people were displaced by climate disasters in 2023, the most recent year with available data.

For the approximately two-thirds of Americans who have pets, these displacements create additional challenges. No-pets policies, breed restrictions, and weight limits severely reduce available housing options. Even pet-friendly properties often impose substantial financial barriers.

In Los Angeles County, where 55% of households rent compared to 35% nationwide, the situation is particularly acute. While 67% of rental properties in Los Angeles allow pets on paper, research from Michelson Found Animals (MFA) found that number drops to just 8% when eliminating properties with pet fees or restrictions.

Recent legislative efforts to address these issues include California’s AB 2216, which would have limited pet rents and restrictions but failed to pass in 2024 due to opposition from the commercial housing industry. In Los Angeles County, Supervisor Hilda Solis introduced a proposal in December 2024 to study issues related to pets and housing.

Clark advocates for tenant unions as part of the solution. “You’re a member of your community, and you shouldn’t be treated like a second-class citizen just because you don’t own property,” she said.

As Clark observes from her position on the Altadena Library Board, communities continue to struggle with recovery long after media attention fades.

“There will be another crisis,” Clark told Yes! “Whatever that next crisis is, attention will shift, and all the folks in Altadena are still going to be dealing with this.”