Rebuild, Restore, Remain

Our Eaton Fire Relief Fund

While the Eaton Fire did not discriminate on the basis of race or class, what we do know is that the recovery for Black and Hispanic people will in general be much harder than for our white brothers and sisters because of historical systemic inequities and lack of access to resources.

That’s why we’re focusing our efforts on assisting Black and Hispanic families impacted by the fire- but we can’t do it without your help.

Altadena: A Sanctuary for the Black Community

Before the Eaton Fire, Altadena was known as one of the most diverse areas of Los Angeles County with 58% of its residents identifying as People of Color. 18% of whom are Black. During The Great Migration of the 1930’s some Black families were able to move into parts of Altadena. Following the passage of the 1968 Fair Housing Act, even more Black families flocked to Altadena.

It became a refuge and a sanctuary for the Black community and was one of the more affordable, middle-class areas where Black families could realize the American Dream of homeownership. At its peak in 1990, 40% of Altadena residents were Black.

Today, 8 out of 10 Black residents in Altadena are homeowners. That’s almost double the national Black homeownership rate.

Many of these homes and businesses were passed down from generation to generation helping to create culturally vibrant neighborhoods and rich communities while at the same time increasing generational wealth for these families through home and business ownership.

Now so many of those homes and businesses have burned down.

Together, we can help.

Rebuild, Restore, and Remain: Our Eaton Fire Relief Fund

As a local non-profit living and working in the community, we know that recovery from the Eaton Fire will be a marathon not a sprint. As such, Greenline will focus our efforts on helping Black and Hispanic communities to…

Rebuild Homes
Restore Neighborhoods
Remain in the Community
Additionally, our plan addresses each phase of the long road ahead.

In the Short Term

That will include technical support for navigating the claims process with insurance companies, managing mortgage deferment with lenders, and connecting residents with community partners that can assist with immediate needs such as short-term housing, food and basic necessities, transportation, or mental health and wellness services. It will also include smaller grants to help pay insurance deductibles.

In the Medium Term

Greenline will help locate, secure, and pay for long-term temporary housing covering the cost for up to one year or $40,000. We are hoping to help at least 50 families in this way. It is important that people who lost homes in these communities are able to remain in the community, and therefore, we will prioritize helping locate housing in Altadena/Pasadena and the immediate surrounding communities. We are trying to prevent displacement and we know that if people leave the community while they rebuild, they are less likely to return. We also know that the cost of housing has increased significantly since many of the Black and Brown communities have purchased a home and therefore market rent in this area might be cost prohibitive, especially for the older generation that is on fixed income. We will fill that gap.

In the Long Term

It is possible and even likely that insurance and FEMA payouts will not be adequate to cover the total cost of reconstruction and many in our communities are under-insured or, worse, don’t have insurance if they don’t have a mortgage. Greenline will stand in that gap to ensure that the cost of rebuilding does not prevent our community from staying in their community. We hope to offer $250,000 per family in construction costs support over what insurance and FEMA offer for rebuilding.

Help with identifying and vetting qualified architects and contractors.

Preventing homeowners from selling their lots and therefore losing out on hundreds of thousands, if not millions of dollars of generational wealth. If our target community does not want to rebuild, we have been asked to purchase the lots and hold them in trust, then working with area CLT’s and housing stakeholders to ensure that whatever the next use of the land is, is community-centered and retains the rich identity of the area.

It’s about more than property. It’s about legacy too.

100% of the money donated to this fund will provide financial assistance to the Black and Hispanic communities of Altadena and Pasadena to rebuild their homes, restore their neighborhoods, and remain in this culturally rich and generationally impactful community.

Get housing. Give housing.

Need a place to stay?

If you’re Black or Hispanic, own a home in Altadena or Pasadena, and have been displaced by the Eaton Fire, we can help. Fill out the intake form below to get started.

Have a place to rent?

If you’re a property owner in the San Gabriel Valley with rental housing available and looking to assist those that have been displaced, fill out the form below.

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