A year after the Eaton and Palisades fires devastated Los Angeles, some of the first homes rising from the wreckage have been rebuilt to better withstand future disasters.
We created the Resilient LA Delta Fund to address the cost difference between rebuilding to a higher level of wildfire resilience—such as the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety’s Wildfire Prepared Home Plus standard—and rebuilding to meet California’s minimum code. That gap, typically 2-3% on top of total construction costs, can force families to choose between getting back into their homes quickly and getting back into safer homes. The Resilient LA Delta Fund helps make that choice easier.
Two pilot programs show the model in action. In Altadena, a funding partnership with Greenline Housing Foundation is helping three families achieve the Wildfire Prepared Home Plus standard, and one of those houses is nearly move-in ready. Nearby, a grant to San Gabriel Valley Habitat for Humanity is stretching even further. Thanks to volunteer labor and donated materials, three or four new homes will receive impactful safety upgrades at a fraction of typical costs.
These are among the very first homes rebuilt after the fires, meaning they’ll help set expectations for contractors, neighbors, and building officials alike. When resilience shows up at the start of recovery, it can become the norm.
The Resilient LA Delta Fund is now accepting applications from nonprofits working with wildfire survivors across LA. Read the full article here.
