Wednesday, June 17, 2026

Guest Opinion | Adam Frankel: Altadena Fire Survivors Desperately Need Help. Time is Running Out for California to Act.

California leaders have less than two weeks left to finalize this year’s state budget. Even in the face of massive federal funding cuts and a major state deficit, lawmakers have rightfully fought to secure more than $1.5 billion to address California’s homelessness and housing affordability crisis. But strikingly, no money has been allocated to protect the most vulnerable survivors of last year’s devastating L.A. wildfires, including many who risk falling into homelessness or facing permanent displacement from their communities.

These realities are especially pressing in Altadena, a historically Black and middle class community that was ravaged by the Eaton Fire and is still struggling to recover. In the absence of meaningful federal support—and with widespread insurance industry malfeasance—the financial barriers to rebuilding and the challenges of returning safely home are growing increasingly difficult, especially for renters, low-income people, and people of color. Thousands of Altadena fire survivors remain displaced, including many who are still living in precarious temporary housing arrangements or even sleeping in cars on their burned down lots. More than half have now lost or will soon lose their insurance-backed emergency housing benefits, and many don’t know how they’ll afford a place to live in the months to come. 

Sadly, much of this suffering could have been avoided had Governor Newsom simply kept a promise he made immediately after the fires: the state would invest $2.5 billion in recovery efforts—“no strings attached.” The reality? California has spent just over $600 million—less than a quarter of what was initially promised—leaving nearly $2 billion in emergency funds unspent and unaccounted for. Meanwhile, survivors are increasingly struggling to stay housed or afford basic necessities. But that’s not all. In a recent investigative report, NBCLA found the state had spent nearly $14 million from the dedicated recovery fund to reimburse California Highway Patrol for policing costs from last year’s historic anti-ICE protests. There is no excuse for such brazen misuse of funds. 

Now, as a direct consequence the state’s inaction, thousands are facing the growing threat of being permanently displaced from Altadena, a community that has long been a refuge to marginalized people of all backgrounds. But none of this should come as a surprise. In fact, Altadena residents and disaster experts have long warned that climate disasters disproportionately harm people of color and low-income people. In one striking example, a recent UCLA study found that hundreds of Altadena’s affordable rental units—which were primarily home to people of color and low-income people—were either severely damaged or completely destroyed in the fire. Without swift action, the Altadena community faces a drastic reduction in its affordable housing stock and will experience untold pain in forced displacement. 

Newsom’s office has defended its mishandling of fire recovery dollars by claiming that the funds were intended for “FEMA reimbursable projects” and that the agency has only reimbursed a fraction of the state’s recovery-related expenses. But this assertion does not withstand scrutiny. Neither the official press release nor the legislation establishing the fund—nor Newsom’s personal January 2025 social media post about it—make any mention of a FEMA funding requirement. Even taking into account Newsom’s legitimate claims of federal neglect, there is no excuse for the state to so dramatically fail to support even the most vulnerable fire survivors—who find themselves in this situation due to no fault of their own. The state has the dollars in hand and must act quickly to deliver this desperately needed aid.

The governor recently revealed a $100 million proposal that would provide private loan assistance to those struggling to cover the immense costs of rebuilding. While an important gesture, the initiative misses the mark. For Altadena’s most vulnerable and those at greatest risk of displacement, taking on additional debt is simply not an option. The fire’s immense financial toll has already pushed survivors into a deeply untenable financial position. 

An important first step toward rectifying this situation would be for Newsom to work with state lawmakers to establish a $25 million Community Aid for Rebuilding and Equity (CARE) Fund in this year’s state budget, as recently proposed by State Senator Sasha Renée Perez. The state-sponsored effort would be the first of its kind to directly fund rebuilding gap grants for those who cannot fully cover the cost of construction and provide initial investments to preserve and rebuild affordable housing throughout Altadena. It is a small gesture that would go a long way in restoring trust among fire survivors and providing stability to those facing the very real threat of permanent displacement. As the state budget must be finalized by June 30, California leaders have few days left to act. Now is the time for them to stand with Altadena fire survivors.

Adam Frankel is an Eaton Fire survivor, environmental justice attorney, and a member of the Altadena Earthseed Community Land Trust.