LA County Board Chair Barger Pledges Support For Fire Victims’ Rebuilding

Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger detailed initiatives to help fire victims rebuild during a community meeting about the Eaton Fire at Pasadena City College on Sunday at 4 p.m.

Afterwards,  she spoke with Pasadena Now.

Barger highlighted recent regulatory reforms and outlined plans to address financing challenges faced by affected homeowners.

“Yesterday I announced that we are going to not only talk about cutting the red tape, we are going to cut the red tape,” Barger said. “I’m grateful to Governor Newsom, who heard loud and clear and this morning signed an executive order doing just that.”

Barger emphasized the mission is to make rebuilding something that is financially feasible for affected residents.

“I’m going to be working with the federal government to find out if we can do something similar to a Veterans Administration loan, which is a low interest loan done for veterans who deserve it,” she said.

“I’m hoping we can carve out or figure out a way to either work with lending institutions and / or Housing and Urban Development to figure out how we can offer that for the residents in Altadena and Pasadena and actually, everywhere, that’s been impacted by these fires.”

Addressing property assessment concerns, Barger shared positive news: “The other issue that’s coming up is people are afraid they’re going to get their house assessed at the value of the replacement. I’ve been told by the assessor, thank God he was listening, that in fact you will be able to carry if it’s a like [before the rebuild] So if you had a 90 square foot home and you build a hundred square foot home, you’ll not be reassessed.”

Regarding Federal Emergency Management Agency assistance, Barger provided important clarification: “I don’t want the people in the gymnasium here tonight to believe that a hundred percent applies. It does not — because I’m having people come up to me and say, ‘I did not know that FEMA will cover the difference between what my insurance won’t pay.’ I’m going to research it, but what I’m told is FEMA will cover up to $40,000.”