Wednesday, April 8, 2026

LA County Backs State Bill to Triple Mortgage Forbearance for Eaton Fire Survivors

Supervisor Barger’s motion directs the County to support legislation extending relief from one year to three as rebuilding lags

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved a motion directing the County to support a state bill that would triple the mortgage forbearance period available to Eaton Fire survivors, from 12 months to 36.

The motion, authored by Supervisor Kathryn Barger, puts the County’s formal weight behind Assembly Bill 1847 by Assemblymember John Harabedian (D-Pasadena), which would also extend the deadline for homeowners to request forbearance to January 7, 2029. The bill does not guarantee relief on its own — it must still pass the state Legislature. But the Board’s vote signals the County’s position as the measure heads to the Assembly Banking and Finance Committee, where it is scheduled for a hearing this month, according to a Pasadena Now report.

AB 1847 builds on AB 238, the Mortgage Forbearance Act, which Governor Gavin Newsom signed in September 2025. That law allowed wildfire survivors to pause mortgage payments for up to 12 months in 90-day increments, without late fees, negative credit reporting, or risk of foreclosure. It also prohibited lenders from requiring lump-sum repayment at the end of the forbearance period.

But the first forbearance periods granted under that law began expiring in late 2025, and survivors have since reported that some mortgage servicers delayed or denied the relief they were legally owed. At an Assembly hearing held at Pasadena City College in late March, fire survivors testified to those difficulties before Harabedian and Banking and Finance Committee Chair Avelino Valencia (D-Anaheim).

“While some banks abided by the law in granting relief via the Mortgage Forbearance Act, many delayed and denied consumers the relief they are owed under the law,” Harabedian said in a statement from his office. “That is why I have introduced AB 1847.”

The bill would require mortgage servicers to offer borrowers the option to defer repayment of forborne amounts to the end of the loan term, according to the bill text. The existing law prohibited lump-sum repayment demands but did not otherwise specify how borrowers would repay forborne amounts.

The Eaton Fire, which began on January 7, 2025, destroyed 9,418 structures and killed 19 people across 14,021 acres, according to Cal Fire. The devastation was concentrated in unincorporated Altadena, which falls within Barger’s Fifth Supervisorial District and Harabedian’s Assembly District 41.

Fifteen months later, roughly 1,025 homes are under construction in the burn area and approximately 2,000 building permits have been issued, according to data from Barger’s office published by Pasadena Now on April 1. But only about half of the more than 6,000 households that lost homes have submitted applications to rebuild — a gap Barger has attributed to delayed insurance payments, not permitting backlogs.

“From day one, my priority has been to stand with my Eaton Fire constituents and advocate for every resource available to help them recover,” Barger said in a press release from her office announcing the motion. “We must draw down every possible form of financial relief — local, state, and federal — to ensure survivors are not left behind.”

The California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation has received 233 consumer complaints about mortgage forbearance since January 2025, with 92 percent resolved in favor of consumers, according to state data cited by Altadena Now. Homeowners experiencing difficulty with mortgage servicers can file complaints with the DFPI at dfpi.ca.gov or by calling 866-275-2677.

AB 1847 is one of two mortgage-related bills Harabedian introduced in February. The companion measure, AB 1842, would create a statewide mortgage forbearance framework for homeowners affected by future disasters.

“Wildfire victims continue to face incredible challenges and need additional support as they continue to rebuild their lives,” Harabedian said in a statement when he introduced the legislation. “By extending mortgage forbearance for up to two years total, AB 1847 will ensure that families are not subject to foreclosure while they recover and get back on their feet.”