Billions in Approved Disaster Loans Arrives at Final Deadline Today for Eaton and Palisades Fire Survivors

The federal government approved more than $3.4 billion in disaster loans for survivors of the January 2025 wildfires. Only about $1 billion has reached them.

Today, June 30, 2026, is the final day those approved borrowers — homeowners, renters, small businesses, and nonprofits across Los Angeles County — can accept their funds through the SBA’s routine disbursement process. After today, according to the SBA, undisbursed loan assistance will be available only on a case-by-case basis.

In Altadena, where the Eaton Fire destroyed more than 9,400 structures and killed 19 people, survivors can walk into The Collaboratory at 540 West Woodbury Road for in-person help, Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., according to the SBA. A second center operates at The Pali Hub, 15239 La Cruz Drive, Pacific Palisades, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The Palisades Fire destroyed 6,837 structures and killed 12; the confirmed death toll across both fires is 31, according to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner.

The roughly $2.4 billion gap between approved and disbursed aid reflects a recovery stalled by permitting backlogs, delayed insurance payouts, and construction costs ranging from $450 to $1,500 per square foot, according to a POLITICO analysis published in April that found only 34 homes completed across both fire zones in 15 months.

The SBA’s nearly 13,000 approvals made Los Angeles County the largest recipient of SBA disaster assistance in fiscal year 2025, according to the agency. Homeowners can borrow up to $500,000, renters up to $100,000, and businesses and private nonprofits up to $2 million, at rates as low as 2.563% for homeowners, with terms up to 30 years and no payments for the first 12 months, according to the SBA.

The agency extended its original six-month disbursement window twice — in October 2025, citing “extraordinary permitting delays,” and again in January 2026. In late January, President Trump signed an executive order directing the SBA to let builders self-certify compliance with building codes and bypass permitting backlogs exceeding 60 days, according to SBA regulatory guidance.

SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler attributed the delays to state and local government. “The only thing standing in the way now are the same failed state and local leaders who only deliver lip service instead of relief,” Loeffler said in September 2025, according to a Fox News report. A spokesperson for Governor Gavin Newsom responded by urging the SBA to speed up its own loan approvals.

Joy Chen, executive director of the Eaton Fire Survivors Network, offered a different view. “The only Altadena residents who are moving forward are those with wealth and those whose insurers have paid out fully,” Chen said in January 2026, according to Governing.com. Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger said in April: “I want to see Altadena rebuilt tomorrow, but I have to acknowledge that what I want and what is feasible are two different matters,” according to POLITICO.

Borrowers can act today online at MySBA.sba.gov, by appointment at appointment.sba.gov, or in person at either center. The SBA customer service line is (800) 659-2955; email: disastercustomerservice@sba.gov. Those who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability may dial 7-1-1. Borrowers may also qualify for a loan increase of up to 20% of verified physical damage for mitigation improvements, according to the SBA.

The state’s CalAssist Mortgage Fund offers up to $100,000 in mortgage payments — up to 12 months, a fourfold increase from the program’s original three-month cap — that does not need to be repaid. Homeowners who previously received three months of assistance are eligible for additional support. Apply at CalAssistMortgageFund.org or call 800-501-0019.

A free virtual Rebuilding Together Workshop covering the Unified Permit Process and County Disaster Recovery Permit application is scheduled for July 10, 2026, from 12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. via Zoom, hosted by LA County Recovers. ADA and Title VI accommodations are available by calling LA County Public Works at 626-940-7998.

Eighteen months after the Eaton Fire swept through Altadena, $2.4 billion in approved aid sits undrawn. “It’s like being trapped in a spider web,” said Giacetti, an Altadena-based executive at the nonprofit Department of Angels. “All these interrelated issues.”