With federal rental assistance for wildfire-displaced renters ending last month and no known replacement program, a free event Saturday aims to connect residents with housing, legal, case management and mental health services.
Renter Recharge, part of Day One’s DENA CARES program, will run from noon to 4 p.m. Nov. 7 at the Loma Alta Park Gymnasium, 3330 Sunset Ridge Road in Altadena. The event is open to renters displaced by the 2025 Eaton, Palisades and Malibu fires.
Day One is longstanding a nonprofit organization that works with San Gabriel Valley cities on development projects.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency ended the assistance period for renters Oct. 9, despite California’s request for an additional 12 months of aid for homeowners and renters. FEMA OK’d three additional months for renters, saying they had already received up to 18 months of assistance and that sufficient resources were available in the rental market.
No state, county or city program has been announced to replace the federal assistance.
The loss of aid comes as displaced renters continue to face housing instability.
As of Jan. 31, nearly three-quarters of recorded rental units within the Eaton Fire perimeter were on properties without a rebuilding permit, sale or listing, the UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute reported.
Day One survey data covering 455 Eaton Fire renter households found that about 78% were not in stable, long-term housing.
In June, the LA County Board of Supervisors established a single point of access for those homelessness prevention services, with Eaton and Palisades fire survivors among the first groups to receive the county’s focus.
A resource website is at lacounty.gov/prevention.
Saturday’s event will bring county representatives and community organizations together in one location, organizers said. Staff from the departments of Consumer and Business Affairs, Public Social Services, Mental Health as well as Aging and Disabilities are expected to attend.
“Overwhelmingly, the renters we work with struggled to get FEMA approvals or dollars in the first place, so this resource was never sufficient,” said Lisa Odigie of Day One, who chairs the Eaton Fire Collaborative’s Emergency Housing and Stabilization Committee. “Now even that door has closed, and the need for housing has not ended.
“Renters shouldn’t have to go office to office to find out what help is left, so we’re bringing that help into one room,” she added.
The resource fair will offer several types of assistance:
- Housing and rental resources: Organizations offering assistance include Neighborhood Housing Services of Los Angeles County, Union Station, Door of Hope, Affordable Living for the Aging, Beacon Housing, Pasadena’s Housing Department, Evolve Realty and Development, Barker Management, Altadena Earthseed Community Land Trust, Foothill Catalog Foundation and 211.
- Legal assistance: Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles, Housing Rights Center, Eaton & Palisades Fires Renters Coalition, CHIRLA and Eaton Fire Residents United will provide resources, with space available for private consultations.
- Case management and essential services: The Eaton Fire Collaborative, Legacy Land Project, Operation Hope, 4th Trimester, St. Vincent de Paul and Project Passion will connect attendees with support.
- Wellness and family resources: AltaMed, Armory Center for the Arts, a sound bath by JessBeU, meditative art activities by Clarissa Ramsey Studio, Park on the Move and the Day One Teen Lounge will offer activities and services. Baby2Baby gift bags, food from Tacos Don Pillo and a DJ also are planned.
Registration was encouraged at bit.ly/renterrecharge. Registered attendees are eligible for a free Baby2Baby gift bag while supplies last, organizers said.