Thursday, October 1, 2026

Altadena Coalition Says FEMA Case-Management Money Does Not Secure Program’s Future

An Altadena-based coalition of Eaton Fire recovery groups said Wednesday, Sept. 30, that federal money announced that day for wildfire survivors’ case managers does not settle how long the program will last.

The Eaton Fire Collaborative said in a statement that the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s announcement sets no timeline for the Disaster Case Management Program, does not say how the money will be distributed across affected communities and does not name the Eaton Fire. Eaton survivors make up the largest share of the program’s clients in Los Angeles County, the collaborative said.

FEMA announced $11 million for disaster case management on Sept. 30, including more than $6.6 million for over 3,000 survivors of the 2025 Los Angeles County wildfires and winds and more than $4.5 million for survivors of California’s 2023 winter storms.

FEMA has now provided nearly $10 million for case management for the 2025 fire disaster, according to media reports.

The collaborative said that, by FEMA’s own description, the wildfire money pays for services already provided rather than new capacity for the months ahead.

Rep. Brad Sherman, who represents Pacific Palisades, said FEMA was paying California money it owed the state for providing caseworkers through Sept. 30, and he urged the agency to fund the program at least through May 2027, Spectrum News reported.

“Case management is how survivors find their way through recovery, and it has to be there for the full length of that journey,” said Michael Ocon, the collaborative’s executive director. “We are grateful to the State of California for keeping services running and to the legislative partners who have pressed for this funding.”

FEMA had approved $13.2 million for the program, to be paid in four equal installments, but state officials said that week that only $3.3 million had been received, Spectrum News reported. Rep. Judy Chu said another $3.3 million from FEMA remains outstanding, according to Spectrum.

California’s request for additional money to sustain the program remains unresolved, the collaborative said.

FEMA’s Region 9 office on Sept. 11 denied the state’s request for $6,568,265.60 beyond the original award, saying the state had not provided sufficient cost justification, according to a Sept. 24 letter to FEMA Administrator Cameron Hamilton from Chu, Sherman and Sens. Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla. The lawmakers wrote in support of the state Office of Emergency Services’ appeal of that denial.

The state has kept the program going with $9.9 million of its own money while awaiting FEMA reimbursement, a California Department of Social Services spokesperson told Spectrum News in a report published Sept. 29.

Catholic Charities of California is under contract to administer the program until that money is exhausted, which may occur as early as Oct. 31, the spokesperson said. The collaborative said the state is continuing services for an additional 30 days while it works with FEMA on further guidance, and that there is no commitment beyond that window.

More than 1,400 survivors are working with a case manager, and others are waiting for one, the collaborative said. The lawmakers’ Sept. 24 letter cited different provider figures: 1,288 active cases, 84 survivors on an immediate waitlist and 7,000 more survivors in a broader provider database awaiting a case manager.

The collaborative also said FEMA rental assistance for wildfire survivors is scheduled to expire Oct. 9, the same date cited in the lawmakers’ letter. When FEMA extended its Individuals and Households Program in June, eligible renters could receive assistance through Oct. 9, 2026, and eligible homeowners through July 9, 2027, Chu’s office said June 24. As of Sept. 17, 801 households were receiving FEMA rental assistance, including 623 renter households, the lawmakers wrote.

FEMA told Spectrum News it has provided more than $180 million in individual assistance to over 35,000 eligible individuals and households under the January 2025 disaster declaration, but did not explain why the case-management payments were delayed, Spectrum reported. Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger welcomed the new money and said she hoped it would be accessible locally as soon as possible, MyNewsLA.com reported.

The collaborative called on FEMA to resolve the state’s pending request, fund the program for its full approved term so services do not run month to month, publish a timeline for the program’s continuation and confirm how the money will reach Eaton Fire survivors.

NEED TO KNOW: Disaster Case Management Program. Eaton and Palisades fire survivors may be eligible for case-management help, according to Los Angeles County. Call the statewide access line at (833) 775-DCMP, or (833) 775-3267. Information: https://recovery.lacounty.gov/disaster-case-management-program/