Altadena Fire Survivors to Press Lawmakers for $25 Million Rebuild Fund Before Budget Deadline

Eaton Fire survivors, housing advocates and community leaders will hold a news conference at 9 a.m. Thursday at 42 E. Manor St. urging state lawmakers to include a proposed $25 million rebuild fund in the final California state budget to support wildfire recovery and prevent displacement.

The Community Aid for Rebuilding and Equity Fund, introduced by state Senator Sasha Renée Pérez (D-Pasadena), would provide rebuild-gap grants for homeowners and land-banking to preserve affordable housing in Altadena, according to a coalition press release issued by Dena Rise Up. The state budget deadline is June 15. Advocates say the CARE Fund would be the only state program of its kind for fire recovery, and warn that without it, many survivors will face permanent displacement.

The Eaton Fire started on Jan. 7, 2025, near Altadena Drive and Midwick Drive. It burned 14,021 acres and destroyed more than 9,000 structures, killing at least 19 people, according to Cal Fire and the California Attorney General’s Office. The average age of those who died was 77.

California has funded debris removal, emergency response and infrastructure recovery in the months since, according to the Dena Rise Up release. The Legislature approved $2.5 billion in bridge funding in January 2025, and Gov. Gavin Newsom’s revised 2026-27 budget proposes a separate $100 million Disaster Rebuilding Fund to backstop construction loans and help homeowners buy down interest rates during rebuilding.

But organizers say no current state program helps ordinary survivors overcome rebuilding gaps or preserve affordable housing. “I believe it does not have to stay this way for the families of Altadena,” Kai Timbadia, an 18-year-old Altadena resident and Eaton Fire survivor, said in the release. “The CARE Fund is a beacon of hope, and the path forward for a community that is desperately trying to heal itself.”

Housing service providers say tens of thousands of fire-impacted residents continue to face barriers to housing stability, according to the release.

“State disaster relief is needed immediately, funding is the biggest barrier to recovery for our fire survivors,” Denise Bowman, co-chair of Emergency Housing and Stabilization for the Eaton Fire Collaborative, said in the release.

The proposal is a scaled-down version of an earlier coalition request. In May, more than 80 Eaton Fire survivors traveled to the State Capitol, where Dena Rise Up described its broader rebuilding task as $300 million, according to CBS Sacramento. The $25 million figure now before lawmakers represents what advocates are urging be included before next week’s deadline.

Senator Pérez represents the 25th Senate District, which includes Altadena and Pasadena. In an earlier announcement of state allocations for Altadena affordable housing, she said, “With today’s announcement, we take another tangible step in our journey of recovery.”

The broader state response remains under scrutiny. An NBC4 Los Angeles investigation reported in late May that approximately 60% of the $2.5 billion in state wildfire relief funds had not yet been spent. Separately, the California Department of Justice announced an investigation on Feb. 12, 2026, into the emergency response in West Altadena.

The state budget is set to be finalized June 15.