Posted on 01/21/2025
ONE BIG THING: RECOVERY
We’re not in the clear yet, but we’re starting to get a better picture of just how many lives have been turned upside down by this disaster. This week, City Council met for the first time since the fires broke out, and over 50 pieces of legislation were introduced to help get LA on the path to recovery.
Analyzing the City’s Response to the LA Fires
Council’s first action was to order an independent outside report to review the City and County’s emergency response to the wildfires. Additionally, we’re asking the Fire Department to report on their current ability to manage fires of this magnitude and other large-scale emergencies.
We need to know exactly why this happened, so we can make sure it never happens again.
Freeze on Rent Increases & Eviction Moratorium
We also joined Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez to introduce legislation that would pause rent hikes for one year, and institute a moratorium on evictions for renters impacted by the fires.
Before this, housing was already unaffordable for working class Angelenos. We have some of the highest rents in the country, and over 250,000 residents spend more than 90% of their income on rent. Now, this tragedy has pushed tens of thousands more people into the rental market, and rental prices on Zillow have jumped up to 64% just in the past week.
When rents spike, evictions follow. A 2019 MIT study found that eviction rates nearly double after severe natural disasters. If LA follows this trend, we could see 15,000 evictions every month, with thousands of families pushed into homelessness.
We can’t reverse the horrific damage brought by the fires, but we can still prevent some of the worst secondary devastation caused by people losing homes, jobs, and livelihoods.
What's Next?
Our motion with Councilmember Hernandez was referred to the Housing & Homelessness Committee, and it will likely come back to the full council for a vote in the coming weeks. Click here to make your voice heard online by submitting public comment.
You can also view our breakdown of this week’s emergency recovery legislation, and stay tuned for more updates as the situation develops.
Two More Quick Hits!
1. Fire Resources Website
The amount of information coming out about the fires can feel overwhelming, so we put together a straightforward guide with resources for:
- Volunteering
- Donating
- Emergencies
- Air Quality
- Mental Health
- Recovery
- Closures
2. Team CD13 Travels to CD11 to Help Victims of the Palisades Fire
Members of our team traveled to the CD11 field office this week to help out and take calls, organize donations, and offer support to the fire victims.
Disasters don’t care about geographic borders, but neither does compassion. It’s been incredibly inspiring to see council offices and workers across the city step up to support our communities who need help.
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