Thursday, June 25, 2026

Chu Lauds Continued Eaton Fire Survivor Access to Federal Housing Aid Under Extended Deadlines

Homeowners in the Altadena burn zone can now draw FEMA assistance through July 2027, and renters through next fall

Federal disaster aid for survivors of the Eaton Fire will keep flowing well into next year and beyond, after the Federal Emergency Management Agency on Wednesday approved California’s request to extend its housing and financial assistance for people displaced by the 2025 Los Angeles wildfires.

Under the extension, eligible homeowners can receive assistance through July 9, 2027, and eligible renters through October 9, 2026 — a change that reaches directly into Altadena and Pasadena, where the Eaton Fire destroyed more than 9,000 structures and killed 19 people, according to Cal Fire.

The aid comes through FEMA’s Individuals and Households Program, which provides direct housing and other needs assistance to disaster survivors. As of June 12, 2026, FEMA reported that more than 35,000 households had received assistance through the program, with more than $177 million awarded. FEMA also reported that more than 1,200 households have received Continued Temporary Housing Assistance since the disaster. California will pay more than $25 million in cost share.

The extension follows a formal request the state announced in May for an additional 12 months of the program. State officials said many survivors remain displaced because of insurance delays, housing shortages and limited contractor availability. As of May 3, the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services reported that nearly 29,500 possibly eligible households were still working through insurance claims.

Rep. Judy Chu, who represents California’s 28th District, including Altadena and Pasadena, worked with Gov. Gavin Newsom and congressional colleagues to advocate for the extension and issued a statement after the approval.

“I commend FEMA for approving California’s request to extend the Individuals and Households Program (IHP) that provides direct housing and other needs assistance to survivors of the Los Angeles Fires, including the Eaton Fire that devastated my district,” Chu said in the statement.

“As Altadena and Pasadena continue to rebuild from the Eaton Fire, this critical extension will ensure that homeowners and renters have the financial and housing support they need during their recovery,” she said.

Pasadena-area state legislators also welcomed the decision. “For the fire survivors who remain displaced and continue to struggle throughout their recovery process, the additional financial assistance will provide essential resources that families have needed throughout these past 18 months,” Sen. Sasha Renée Pérez, a Pasadena Democrat, said in a statement released by the governor’s office.

The Eaton Fire began January 7, 2025, in Eaton Canyon and was contained 24 days later. A year and a half on, recovery has been slow: a Catalyst California analysis of county data found that as of December 2025, only 23 of nearly 6,000 significantly damaged Altadena residential properties had completed all rebuilding.

Survivors who registered with FEMA can reach the agency’s helpline at 800-621-3362 or apply at DisasterAssistance.gov.

Chu tied the extension to a larger, unfinished fight. “The continued need for today’s extension underscores the importance of delivering on Governor Newsom’s disaster supplemental funding request that will finally support our long-term recovery and provide the assistance necessary for survivors to rebuild and return home,” she said.