Nearly 40% of L.A. fire survivors face crisis as temporary housing funds dry up, survey finds
Key takeaways
- More than half of homeowners with severe damage from the Eaton fire have now taken some step toward recovery, most by filing rebuilding permits, according to new data from UCLA.
- About 40% of respondents said they would be able to afford temporary housing only for a few months, if that, without those insurance payments.
- And the findings were even more urgent for lower-income households: Among those earning $50,000 or less, almost 80% said they didn’t think they could afford housing for three months once coverage ended.
People work on a home under construction along Palm Street on April 30, 2026, in Altadena. (Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times) By Grace Toohey Staff Writer Follow May 7, 2026 10 AM PT 6 min Click here to listen to this article Share via Close extra sharing options Email Facebook X Linked In Threads Reddit Whats App Copy Link URL Copied! Print 0:00 0:00 1x This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here.
Facing dwindling — or already dried up — insurance payouts and increasingly expensive rebuilding estimates, Los Angeles County’s fire survivors appear to be headed for the most urgent and existential financial crisis yet in their recovery, according to a survey taken 15 months after the January 2025 firestorms.
The report released Thursday by the Department of Angels, a fire recovery nonprofit launched after much of Altadena and Pacific Palisades were destroyed in the Eaton and Palisades fires, marks the organization’s fifth quarterly survey of about 2,100 fire survivors.