California Assemblymembers introduce legislation to help L.A. County fire victims

In this moment of housing crises and the continued fight against homelessness in Greater Los Angeles, preliminary numbers show that the aftermath of the Eaton and   Palisades fires has left more than 100,000 people displaced. 

The apocalyptic scene, considered one of the most destructive wildfires in California’s history, has created an uncertain future for many Angelenos. In an effort to get as many people back on their feet, a delegation of California assembly members from Los Angeles announced on Thursday morning their plan to rebuild.

Speaker of the California Assembly  Robert Rivas (D29) said some immediate funding will go towards rebuilding and repairing schools because children need to attend school and feel a sense of normalcy. They also plan to help affected Angelenos find housing or help them stay housed if their homes are livable. 

“We want those affected by these fires to know that immediate help is on the way. We will listen to local residents about what they need the most,” Rivas said during the press conference held at Pasadena’s Rose Bowl. 

Proposed solutions

Earlier this week, Assemblymembers Jacqui Irwin (D42) and John Harabedian (D41), introduced a pair of bills to provide much-needed financial relief to the wildfire victims.

One is the Mortgage Deferment Act, AB 238, which allows borrowers to pause their monthly mortgage payments for up to one year to provide financial relief to those who have lost their homes or livelihood to wildfires.

The second one is AB 239, the State-Led Disaster Housing Task Force (SLDHTF), establishing entities that could coordinate federal, state, and local recovery efforts related to housing. This is a long-term process to assist with coordination between the federal, state and local municipalities and departments after the fires. 

Assemblywoman Jessica Caloza ( D52) mentioned another two pieces of legislation. The first one is an Individual Assistance Program following a disaster. This will help people with immediate financial assistance of up to $1,500 for food, gas and lodging in weeks following the disaster to take care of essentials. 

“Sometimes what people need most is immediate help to ensure they can survive,” she said. 

Second, the Small Business Recovery Act establishes a fund to help small businesses and nonprofits recover and rebuild. This program offers grants from $2,500 to $100,000 to help them reopen or rebuild if needed. 

The 23 assembly members who attended the press conference concurred that the state is in crisis, with over 180,000 people unhoused previously to the fires and an affordable housing problem due to the huge shortage of housing units. Therefore, quick action is vital. 

Rebuilding safely 

The east and southeast areas of Los Angeles were also represented with Assemblymembers Jose Luis Solache Jr. (D62), and Mark Gonzalez (D54). Both said they fully support the legislation to help Angelenos recover. 

“We are here to send a strong message and ready to introduce legislation that will help rebuild homes, communities, churches and schools, and that’s the priority of our state government, to bring this help without any more waiting time,” said Solache.

Gonzalez said it is important to get the neighborhood back to normalcy in a safe manner because there are so many dangerous chemicals and hazardous materials.   

“As part of the recovery effort, as part of the debris removal, there has to be a discussion that it is done safely,” said Gonzalez.

Earlier, as part of the daily press conference with the Los Angeles Fire Department and law enforcement, authorities said the damaged areas look like a bomb dropped, and it is difficult to estimate when people can go back. 

Los Angeles County Chief Anthony Marrone said extensive work is still being done in the fire zones, including securing utilities to ensure safety, removing hazardous wastes, and searching for human remains.

As of Thursday morning, it is estimated that 5,000 structures have been destroyed or damaged in the Palisades Fire and at least 7,000 in the Eaton Fire. It is expected that the numbers could rise when inspections are completed.