More than a year after the devastating Eaton Fire tore through Altadena, most fire-damaged rental housing shows little to no sign of recovery. A new policy brief from UCLA’s Latino Policy and Politics Institute (LPPI) finds that 74% of rental units within the Eaton Fire perimeter remain on properties with no public record of rebuilding permits, property sales, or active listings.
The report examined roughly 1,500 rental units affected by the January 2025 fire. Researchers found that rebuilding activity among rental properties is lagging far behind the pace set by single-family homeowners. Without construction or government incentives, many displaced renters may have no path back to the community they once called home.
Gabriella Carmona, senior research analyst at LPPI and co-author of the report, said the situation is urgent. “It’s going to be very difficult for a lot of these tenants who were at the margins to find something in Altadena if we aren’t prioritizing that now,” she said.
The report also highlights that Altadena’s renters were already economically vulnerable before the fire struck. Tenant households had lower incomes, higher poverty rates, and higher rent burdens than homeowners. Researchers warn that without targeted policy action, many displaced tenants face long-term or even permanent displacement.
Katie Clark, organizer and co-founder of the Altadena Tenants Union and a member of LPPI’s Altadena Research Advisory Board, described the human toll. “Since the fire, many of our Altadena neighbors have been scattered across the Los Angeles region,” she said. “Folks are living in their cars, piecing together temporary housing, moving dozens of times, or doubling up with family. Without properties to rebuild or control over landlord decisions, we tenants have largely remained invisible in this recovery.”
Among those affected is Rose Robinson, the niece of baseball legend Jackie Robinson and daughter of Olympic track star Mack Robinson. She lost her Altadena rental home along with irreplaceable family photos and memorabilia. “I lost everything,” Robinson said. “I still have anxiety and trouble breathing, and therapy — it’s just a lot. It’s hard for renters.”
Another displaced tenant, Gil Barel, says she is paying rent on both her fire-damaged unit and temporary housing, fearing eviction if she stops payments on either. “I am afraid I will be evicted if I don’t pay rent and I know that I cannot pay anything around the current prices,” she said. Barel also pointed to a gap in recovery support: “The focus keeps on being for homeowners for some reason and renters are largely left out.”
Los Angeles County is reminding fire-impacted residents about its Emergency Rent Relief Program, which allows landlords and tenants affected by the Eaton and Palisades fires to qualify for up to six months of rent debt relief. Some tenants say the program, while helpful, does not go far enough.
The LPPI report calls on policymakers to take immediate action to prevent permanent displacement, including preserving affordable housing, improving tenant access to capital, and redesigning disaster recovery systems that researchers say are currently built around property ownership rather than the needs of renters.
According to E&E News, the UCLA study is the second in a series of analyses examining wildfire recovery efforts in Altadena. Researchers and tenant advocates say the window to prevent permanent displacement is narrowing, and that policy decisions made now will shape who gets to return to Altadena — and who does not.
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