Wednesday, April 22, 2026

Volunteers Break Ground on New Home for Uninsured Eaton Fire Survivors

A Pasadena-based nonprofit begins building the first of 100 houses it plans to construct at no cost to displaced Altadena homeowners

Hope Crisis Response Network is set to break ground Wednesday morning at 2968 N. Fair Oaks Ave. on the first of 100 homes it plans to build over five years for Altadena homeowners who were uninsured or underinsured when the fire struck on January 7, 2025.

The Pasadena organization said it will construct the homes at no cost to the families, using volunteer labor and licensed trade subcontractors, according to the nonprofit.

The ceremony included a ribbon-cutting for new construction equipment funded by partner organizations. HCRN, as the group is known, is a licensed general contractor in California and will oversee all building and inspections, according to its website.

The groundbreaking marks a shift for HCRN’s Altadena operation. In its first phase of fire response, the nonprofit cleaned and repaired more than 100 smoke-damaged homes in Los Angeles County for residents who lacked insurance coverage, according to the organization. It has helped 175 households impacted by the Eaton and Palisades fires return home through remediation and repair work, the organization said in a press release announcing a partnership with the American Red Cross.

“This investment allows us to respond to the true scale of need in Altadena,” Kevin Cox, founder and CEO of Hope Crisis Response Network, said in the press release. “It supports the people and infrastructure needed to help 100 Altadena families return home.”

The Red Cross grant expands HCRN’s capacity for long-term rebuilding, case management, and community recovery, the nonprofit said. The Center for Disaster Philanthropy also awarded the organization $401,200 in 2025 to hire construction managers for the Altadena rebuilding effort.

“This partnership goes beyond rebuilding structures — it’s about restoring stability, dignity, and hope,” Amanda Ree, director of wildfire long-term recovery at the American Red Cross, said in the press release.

HCRN offers three floor plans for its rebuilds: a two-bedroom, two-bathroom home of 1,092 square feet; a three-bedroom, two-bathroom home of 1,344 square feet; and a four-bedroom, two-bathroom home of 1,800 square feet. Applicants must own their property, live there as a primary residence, hold clear title, and commit to staying for at least five years. The organization gives priority to elderly, disabled, veterans, and single-parent families, according to its website.

Founded in 1999, HCRN describes itself as a faith-based humanitarian organization that has served communities across the country in response to wildfires, floods, earthquakes, and other disasters. The nonprofit has focused on California since 2015, operating rebuilding programs in multiple counties, including Butte and Siskiyou counties after the Camp Fire and other wildfires, according to its website.

Residents interested in applying for a home rebuild can visit hcrn.info or contact the organization at (877) 936-4673 or info@hcrn.info.

The first framed walls will follow the shovels. For the family at 2968 N. Fair Oaks Ave., home is no longer an abstraction.