The Brief

While thousands of families search for stability after losing their homes in the past week’s historic Los Angeles fires, many are suddenly confronting another crisis: the region’s long-standing shortage of affordable rental housing.

Now, that shortage has become much worse.

“Every time I call somebody about a listing, I break into tears,” said Tina Poppy.

Her Altadena house, purchased in 2019, was destroyed in the Eaton Fire. Poppy said her family had just finished extensively renovating it into their dream home.

Poppy said she, her husband, two kids and three dogs are temporarily staying at a home offered by a member of a local moms group on Facebook. But the family’s search for longer-term housing is turning up listings with fewer bedrooms, worse amenities and asking rents far in excess of her family’s previous mortgage payment.

“There's not much available for rent, and what is available is just disappearing immediately, and there's a lot of price gouging,” Poppy said. “It's so hard to believe that I'm fighting tooth and nail to get this house that I don't want.”

‘Astronomical' rent increases

Displaced families have been contacting LAist with multiple examples of rental listings that show huge jumps in asking rents in the wake of the fires.

LAist reported on one listing for a four-bedroom home in Bel Air that went up Saturday morning for $29,500 per month — a nearly 86% increase from the property’s advertised rent in September 2024. The listing agent told LAist she advised her client to put the home up for rent after the fires broke out.

“People are desperate, and you can probably get good money,” said the agent, Fiora Aston, with Compass. The listing was taken down later that same day.

“We're seeing astronomical rent increases,” said Chelsea Kirk, a policy and advocacy director with L.A.-based tenant rights nonprofit Strategic Actions for a Just Economy.

Over the past week, Kirk and her colleagues have been collecting data from public listings on post-fire rent increases. So far, she said they’ve collected more than 400 listings that appear to have increased rents above the 10% limit currently in place since Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an emergency declaration banning post-disaster price gouging, which included rental housing.

Kirk said she’s seeing increases hovering around 30% on average, but as much as 75% in some listings. When agents or landlords were called about these rent hikes, she said, some claimed they were unaware of the prohibition on price gouging. In some cases, she said, listings were taken down or the rents were lowered in response.

“Maybe it was a mistake and they didn't know it was illegal,” Kirk said. “But that doesn't mean it's not shameful that they wanted to price gouge during a crisis. Whether it's legal or not, it's definitely morally wrong.”

Rents are rising, and not just on mansions

Like the Bel Air listing spotted by LAist, many of the advertised homes are targeting the high end of L.A.’s housing market. The Palisades Fire destroyed thousands of homes in parts of coastal L.A. that tend to cater to wealthier households, like Malibu and the Pacific Palisades.

But dramatic price increases are also being found in more modest apartments. Kirk flagged one listing in L.A.’s Westlake neighborhood that was first listed for around $2,400 per month in October 2024, but increased to nearly $3,300 on Jan. 9.

Housing policy experts say L.A.’s rental market — which already had a severe shortage of affordable housing, particularly among units large enough for families with children — will likely be supercharged by the sudden influx of thousands immediately needing new housing.

Michael Lens, an urban planning and public policy professor at UCLA, said homeowners who’ve paid off their mortgages and long-term renters who were paying below market rates could particularly struggle to get back on their feet.

“Folks who haven't had to really think about where they're going to live next — who may have been living in, fortunately, stable housing situations for the last couple decades — are going to see a lot of sticker shock,” Lens said.

What happened after Hawaii’s fires

Even after the immediate scramble for new housing subsides, costs in Southern California could remain elevated for an extended period, housing economists say. A recent survey of Hawaiians impacted by the 2023 Maui fires found that one year after the disaster there, families were paying 43% more on average to rent housing of a similar size or smaller.

Trey Gordner, a data scientist with the University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization, said Angelenos affected by the fires should anticipate a long road to recovery.

“It's going to be a bigger challenge for a longer time than I think many people are prepared for,” said Gordner, a co-author of the Hawaii study.

Landlord groups warn members not to price gouge

Dan Yukelson, CEO of local landlord advocacy group the Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles, said the organization is compiling a database of available units, some with waived security deposits, for wildfire victims. He said the organization has also notified its members about the anti-price gouging limits in effect.

“If I saw somebody that had pricing before the emergency, and then you see it going up by more than 10%, they should be reported and prosecuted by the attorney general,” Yukelson said.

Under Newsom’s emergency order, it is also illegal to evict a tenant in order to rent at a higher price to someone displaced by the fires. But Javier Beltran, deputy director for the L.A.-based Housing Rights Center, said he worries some landlords will try anyway.

“Bad player landlords could not accept rent, or could start harassing, or even give just notices of termination without any legal basis, just to scare up tenants in order to move out,” Beltran said. “If [tenants] get any kind of notice within the next couple months, I would say they should seek some legal assistance.”

Beltran recommended tenants reach out to StayHousedLA.org, a coalition of legal aid providers funded by the city and county of L.A., for help if needed.

Displaced residents face unanswered questions

Meanwhile, many of the people now looking for a place to stay are renters who saw their apartments incinerated. Some are wondering if they’ll receive help covering the costs of finding another rental.

Tupe Asiata told LAist the Altadena townhome where she lived with her three sons may have survived the fires, but homes and businesses on the same block were destroyed. She’s not sure when it might be safe to return. She said she paid rent on Jan. 1, and her savings won’t cover the high monthly rent plus security deposit that landlords expect before tenants move in.

“We're having to depend on unknown resources,” Asiata said. “We've filled out the FEMA [application] online. Our stuff is pending. I've never been through anything like this, so I don't know what the time frame is of when help is going to arrive.”

Asiata said she was staying in an Airbnb rental with a relative’s family, who also lost their Altadena home in the fire. But she said that was only a short-term solution.

“My heart is broken,” Asiata said. “I'm very scared, because this isn't just myself. I have kids that are looking at me like, ‘Where are we going?’

“For the first time, I'm feeling like I don't know.”

This story first appeared on The LA Local.

Since 1977, Richard Santillan has been to every Opening Day game at Dodger Stadium. 

“The tradition goes from my father, to me, to my children and grandchildren. Some of my best memories are with my father and children here at Dodger Stadium,” Santillan told The LA Local, smiling under the shade of palm trees near the entrance to the ballpark Wednesday morning. He was there to protest the team less than 24 hours before Opening Day.

Santillan, like countless other loyal Dodgers fans, is grappling with his fan identity over the team’s decision to accept an invitation to the White House and owner Mark Walter’s ties to ICE detention facilities.

More than 30 people joined Santillan on Wednesday morning for a press conference held near 1000 Vin Scully Drive to convey a message directly to the team. 

“We are demanding the Dodgers stop participating in funding of inhumane treatment of families and do not go to the White House to celebrate with the criminal in chief,” Evelyn Escatiola told the crowd. “Together, we have the power to make a change.”

Escatiola, a former dean of East Los Angeles College and longtime community organizer, urged fans to flex their economic power by “letting the Dodgers know that we do not support repression.”

Jorge “Coqui” Rodriguez, a lifelong Dodgers fan, spoke to the crowd and called on Dodgers ownership to divest from immigration detention centers owned and operated by GEO Group and CoreCivic.

Jorge Coqui H Rodriguez speaks at a press conference outside Dodger Stadium on March 25, 2026, to demand the Dodgers not to visit the White House following their 2025 World Series win.

(

J.W. Hendricks

/

The LA Local

)

In a phone interview a day before the protest, Rodriguez told The LA Local he did not want the Dodgers using his “cheve” or beer money to fund detention centers. 

“They can’t take our parking money, our cacahuate money, our cheve money, our Dodger Dog money and invest those funds into corporations that are imprisoning people. It’s wrong,” Rodriguez said. 

Rodriguez considers the Dodgers one of the most racially diverse teams and said the players need to support fans at a time when heightened immigration enforcement has become more common across L.A.

The team’s 2025’s visit to the White House drew ire from the largely Latino fan base, citing the Trump administration’s ongoing attacks on immigrants. 

In June, the team came under further scrutiny when rumors swirled online that federal immigration agents were using the stadium’s parking, which immigration authorities later denied in statements posted on social media accounts.

The team again came under fire after not releasing a statement on the impacts of ICE raids on its mostly Latino fan base at the height of immigration enforcement last summer. The team later agreed to invest $1 million to support families affected by immigration enforcement.

When he learned the Dodgers were pledging only $1 million to families in need, Rodriguez called the amount a  “slap in the face.” 

“These guys just bought the Lakers for billions of dollars and they give a million dollars to fight for legal services? That’s a joke,” Rodriguez said. “They need to have a moral backbone and not be investing in those companies.”

According to reporting from the Los Angeles Times, former Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershawsaid last week that he is looking forward to the trip.

“I went when President [Joe] Biden was in office. I’m going to go when President [Donald] Trump is in office,” Kershaw said. “To me, it’s just about getting to go to the White House. You don’t get that opportunity every day, so I’m excited to go.”

The Dodgers have yet to announce when their planned visit will take place. 

Santillan sometimes laments his decision to give up his season tickets in protest of the team. His connection to the stadium and the memories he has made there with family and friends will last a lifetime, he said. On Thursday, he will uphold his tradition and be there for the first pitch of the season, but with a heavy heart.

“It’s a family tradition, but the Dodgers have a lot of work to do,” he said.

A local favorite mom-and-pop bookshop in Eagle Rock is facing displacement due to a steep rent hike. The owners say theirs is just one of several small businesses along Eagle Rock Boulevard struggling to keep up with lease increases.

Over the past 19 years, many in the neighborhood have come to love READ Books for its eclectic collection of used titles and shop dog Florence.

Co-owner Jeremy Kaplan said it’s been a delight to grow with the community over the years.

“Like seeing kids come back in, who were in grade school and now they’re in college,” Kaplan said.

But the building where Kaplan and wife Debbie rent was recently sold, and the rent increased by more than 130% to $2,805 a month, Kaplan said. He told LAist it was an increase his small business simply could not absorb.

Kaplan said he originally was given 30 days notice of the rent increase. After some research, assistance from Councilmember Ysabel Jurado’s office and some pro-bono legal help, Kaplan said he pushed back and got the 90-day notice he’s afforded by state law.

California Senate Bill 1103 requires landlords to give businesses with five or less employees 90 days’ notice for rent increases exceeding 10%, among other protections.

Systems Real Estate, the property management company, did not immediately respond to LAist’s request for comment.

What can small businesses do? 

Nadia Segura, directing attorney of the Small Business Program at pro bono legal aid non-profit Bet Tzedek said California law does not currently allow for rent control for commercial tenancies.

Outside of the protections under SB 1103, Segura said small businesses like READ Books don’t have much other recourse. And even then, commercial landlords are not required to inform their tenants of their protections under the law.

“There’s still a lot of people that don’t know about SB 1103. And then it’s very sad that they tell them they have these rent increases and within a month they have to leave,” Segura said.

She said her group is seeing steep rent hikes like this for commercial tenants across the city.

“We are seeing this even more with the World Cup coming up, the Olympics coming up. And I will say it was very sad to see that also after the wildfires,” Segura said.

Part of Bet Tzedek’s ongoing work is to advocate for small businesses, working with landlords who are increasing rents to see if they are willing to give business owners longer leases that lock in rents.

What’s next 

After READ Books posted about their situation on social media, commenters chimed in to express their outrage and love for the little shop.

While he looks for a new spot, Kaplan says he’s forming a coalition of local businesses and activist groups to see what can be done to help other small businesses facing similar displacement. He wants to address the displacement issue for businesses like his, which have made Eagle Rock the distinctive neighborhood that it is today.

Owl Talk, a longtime Eagle Rock staple selling clothing and accessories in a unit in the same building as READ Books, is facing a “more than double” rent increase, according to a post on their Instagram account.

Kaplan said he’s been in touch with the office of state Assemblywoman Jessica Caloza and wants to explore the possibility of introducing legislation to set up protections for small businesses like his, including rent-control measures or a vacancy tax for landlords. Kaplan said he also reached out to the office of state Sen. Maria Durazo.

By his count, Kaplan said there are about a dozen businesses within surrounding blocks that are at risk of closing their doors or have shuttered due to rent increases or other struggles.

When READ Books was founded during the Great Recession, Kaplan said he knew it was a longshot to open a bookstore at the same time so many were struggling to stay in business.

“It was kind of interesting to be doing something that neighborhoods needed. That was important to me growing up, that was important to my children, that was important to my wife growing up,” Kaplan said.

“And then somebody comes in and says, ‘We’re gonna over double your rent.”

Topline:

Frozen budget: Most of the city’s Bureau of Street Lighting budget comes from an assessment that people who own property illuminated by lights pay on their county property tax bill. The amount people pay depends on the kind of property they own and how much they benefit from lighting. A typical single-family home currently pays $53 annually, and in total, the assessments bring in about $45 million annually for the city to repair and maintain streetlights. Changing the amount the Bureau of Street Lighting gets from the assessment requires a vote among property owners who benefit from the lights.

Ballots: L.A. City Council’s vote gives city staff the green light to prepare and send out those ballots. Miguel Sangalang, who oversees the bureau, said at a committee meeting earlier this month that he expects to send out ballots by April 17. Notices about the ballots will be sent out prior to the ballots themselves.

Near unanimous vote: L.A. City Councilmember Monica Rodriguez was the only “No” vote Tuesday, saying she wanted to see a more current strategic plan for the bureau. Sangalang said the bureau developed a plan in 2022 that lays out how money will be spent. Councilmember Imelda Padilla was absent for the vote.

Vote count: Votes will be weighted according to the assessment amount. Basically, the more you’re asked to pay yearly to maintain streetlights, the more your vote will count. Ballots received before June 2 will be tabulated by the L.A. City Clerk.

How much more money: According to a report, the amount needed in assessments from property owners to meet the repair and maintenance needs of the city’s streetlighting in the next fiscal year is nearly $112 million.

Use of the money: Sangalang said at a March 11 committee meeting that the extra funds would be used to double the number of staff to handle repairs and procure solar streetlights, which don’t face the threat of copper wire theft. That would all potentially reduce the time it takes to repair simple fixes down to a week. Currently, city residents wait for months to see broken streetlights repaired. The assessment would come with a three-year auditing mechanism.