Pasadena Community Foundation Announces the Formation of the Altadena Builds Back Foundation

The Pasadena Community Foundation officially announced the establishment of the Altadena Builds Back Foundation on Wednesday. This supporting organization of PCF has been formed to focus on the long-term recovery and rebuilding of Altadena, which was disproportionately affected by the Eaton Fire. ABBF has secured $55 million from generous donors to support its efforts.

Operating as a subsidiary of PCF, ABBF will assist in the leadership and funding of the rebuilding of Altadena through a community-centered process that reflects the strengths, opportunities, and priorities of those directly impacted by the Eaton Fire. The resources of ABBF will be focused on the broad issue of housing with a priority to preserve the demographic, socio-economic, and creative diversity that has always been woven into the fabric of Altadena. ABBF’s goal is to help provide resources and options for people who want to stay and rebuild in Altadena and to preserve and enhance the affordability for both homeowners and renters. To that end, the ABBF will prioritize households for which philanthropic dollars will make the most impact.

“The work of ABBF will encompass several stages: Engage in a community needs assessment to gather data; identify the population that will be best served by our resources; define the most impactful housing strategies; determine key partners; and implementation,” Foundation officials said.

PCF has appointed five board members who have relevant expertise to inform ABBF’s initiatives and who reflect the diverse community of Altadena. Of the five members, three lost their homes in the Eaton Fire, and one is displaced long term. Candice Kim has been hired by PCF as the Senior Project Manager for ABBF.

“As a longtime Altadena homeowner who lost everything in the Eaton Fire, I appreciate all the efforts of the Pasadena Community Foundation in addressing not only the immediate impacts of the disaster but also having the forethought to plan ahead meaningfully and create an entity that will serve Altadena with housing recovery for years to come,” says Mark Mariscal, one of the four ABBF board members. “Those of us now involved in the formation of ABBF are eager to get to work with community partners embedded in our area, as well as local, state, and federal relief agencies.”

Visit Altadenabuildsback.org for more information.