A new report found that nine months after January’s fires, a significant number of residents in Altadena and Pacific Palisades remain displaced and continue to struggle with housing support amid ongoing battles with insurance.
Nearly 13,000 homes were lost or damaged in the Eaton and Palisades fires. The Department of Angels, a fire recovery program launched after the fires, surveyed more than 2,300 fire-impacted residents across L.A. County and found that 8 in 10 Altadena residents and 9 in 10 Pacific Palisades residents have not returned home. That includes homeowners and renters whose houses were destroyed and those whose homes are still standing but awaiting remediation and testing for toxins.
Many survivors “are being left behind, while others are spending much of their time and dwindling finances to fight for a sliver of what they lost — and often, coming up short,” the report said. The survey is the third in a series this year.
Miguel Santana, chief executive of the California Community Foundation and one of the cofounders of the Department of Angels, said that these hardships have been especially harrowing for seniors and families earning less than $100,000 a year. The report highlights that 1 in 5 of such households have had to cut back on food, and about 1 in 6 have had to skip medical care.
“The situation is becoming so dire that some people are making decisions to skip meals because they’re having challenges covering costs they’ve had to incur as the result of the fires,” Santana said. “They are forgoing healthcare treatments because they can’t afford them and also be housed. Now it’s taking a whole new level where people are making very tough choices around their quality of life.”
Roughly 75% of surveyed Pacific Palisades residents and 67% of surveyed Altadena residents are in temporary housing. Many expect they’ll have to move again in the next few months. The report found that although residents who experienced a total loss have struggled with finding stable housing, residents who experienced structural and smoke or ash damage have had to move more frequently.
For residents who lost their homes in Altadena, Pacific Palisades, Pasadena and Malibu, 22% said they expected to move again within the next six to 12 months and 9% expected to move within the next few months. Of those residents who experienced structural and smoke or ash damage, 19% expected to have to move in the next few months and 18% believed they’d have to move within a year.
Displacement coverage under insurance policies is running out. The number of Altadena residents now without that coverage has grown from 9% in June to 12%, according to the report. In the Pacific Palisades, the number rose from 13% to 20%. Even more residents are expected to run out of help in the coming months.
“We are witnessing a widening divide between what survivors need and what support systems are able to deliver as we enter this next phase of recovery,” Department of Angels management team member Andrew King said during a webinar Wednesday, adding that the “report shows that progress has stalled. Displacement remains unchanged. Costs are escalating and environmental concerns continue.”
The report also underscores the fact that fire survivors’ experiences have largely been shaped by their insurance carrier, with the California FAIR Plan and State Farm facing the most “very dissatisfied” customers and USAA and Farmers seeing the least.
Challenges with extensive itemization lists, lowball estimates, poor communication and changes with adjusters are major factors for customers. And those with standing homes, as opposed to homes that have burned down, have reported greater disappointment with insurers.
Fire survivors also are experiencing an ongoing emotional toll in the aftermath of the fires that for many has only intensified. The majority of respondents said their mental health has gotten worse since the fires. Of those surveyed, 14% cited depression, 5% referenced alcohol or drug use, 4% mentioned PTSD, 10% cited anxiety and 1% mentioned suicidal ideation.
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