The Brief

As neighborhoods start to rebuild from January’s destructive fires in Los Angeles County, a debate is sweeping across social media and into the halls of local government: Is adding more housing in burn zones unsafe? Or could it be a solution for areas that were deeply unaffordable?

Focus has centered on Senate Bill 9. The state law allows homeowners to split their lots and build duplexes on land zoned for single-family homes. Homeowners can use SB 9 to build up to four homes on lots previously reserved for one.

L.A. Mayor Karen Bass banned SB 9 projects in the Pacific Palisades as soon as Gov. Gavin Newsom gave local leaders permission to suspend the law in burn zones. Opponents of denser housing say allowing more homes, and more people, in these neighborhoods will ruin community character and clog roads during future emergencies.

But in Altadena, county leaders have taken a hands-off approach.

“I don't want to disenfranchise anyone from the ability to rebuild,” Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who represents Altadena, told LAist in a recent interview. “We have the flexibility at the local level to address what SB 9 is doing without taking away local land rights.”

In Altadena, 26 applications and counting 

Because SB 9 projects tend to be costly and tightly regulated, the law has been seldom used since it took effect in 2022. But now, dozens of homeowners with burned-down lots are using SB 9 in their rebuilds.

Seven SB 9 applications were submitted in the Palisades before Bass quashed further submissions. In Altadena, the county received 26 applications by early September.

Barger said she is generally opposed to state laws that supersede local land-use decisions. And she has praised Newsom for an executive order restricting high-density housing development along the commercial corridors of Fair Oaks Avenue and Lake Avenue in the wake of the Eaton Fire.

But, Barger said, SB 9 gives homeowners financial opportunities — like renting out secondary units or pooling resources with other family members planning to live together, but in separate buildings, on the same lot. Those options could spell the difference between rebuilding, or having to sell and leave Altadena for good.

“I want people to be able to choose to rebuild because they want to,” Barger said. “I want to make sure I don't put any hurdles in place.”

Old home is a lodestar for new plans 

Large windows and steel framing can be seen in Paul Sanchez's former home in Altadena.

(

Courtesy of Paul Sanchez

)

That’s reassuring to homeowners like Paul Sanchez, who is considering building up to three units on his lot in Altadena. Before the fire, his family lived in a classic exemplar of post-war California modernism. It had an open floor plan, steel framing and floor-to-ceiling windows.

“The home that I lived in was built by an architect who fled Vienna, was a Holocaust survivor, and built with new materials and new ideas at the time in 1948,” Sanchez said. “I'm going to continue this legacy of new ideas.”

Sanchez said sustainability and affordability are key to his vision for rebuilding. His plans aren’t finalized yet, but he said he’s looking into various pre-fabricated models made with fire-resistant materials. And he wants to keep the units relatively small and affordable to prospective renters, as well as for him and his wife (their adult daughter is now out of the house).

“I'm cautiously optimistic,” Sanchez said, looking out over this dirt lot. “I think SB 9 is an option that could really help me. Because I'm not sure if I can do it without it.”

Paul Sanchez stands on the dirt lot in Altadena where he plans to build smaller, more affordable homes made from fire-resistant materials.

(

David Wagner/LAist

)

When rebuilding is a family affair

Other homeowners are planning to use SB 9 to make room for multi-generational family members who were previously squeezed into homes designed for fewer people.

Lori Gay, chief executive of the nonprofit Neighborhood Housing Services of L.A. County, said her organization is counseling homeowners on programs that could aid in their rebuilding efforts. She said SB 9 is complex but could be the right answer for many families.

Gay said that when talking with long-term, cash-strapped Altadenans, her staff tries “as nice as we can” to discourage homeowners from selling their properties.

She said they ask: “Do you have someone else in your family that either you’d consider selling to, or parcel-splitting with?”

Gay said the organization tries to help property owners find other viable options.

“The number one thing we've seen with all those conversations is that seniors are willing to move into a smaller space and let their families move into the major property,” Gay said. “So as we think about rebuilding now, is that something that's workable for people?”

SB 9 panned on social media 

Opponents of SB 9 contend that the law is unsafe and unsuited to areas rebuilding from massive fires.

Before Bass suspended the law in the Pacific Palisades, social media influencer and former reality TV star Spencer Pratt posted a series of viral videos on TikTok lambasting elected leaders for allowing duplexes in the neighborhood. He said the area “cannot handle more density.”

Christopher LeGras, a consultant with Our Neighborhood Voices, a group that organizes against state housing density, said safety concerns are paramount.

“The idea of putting in more people who would have to evacuate if — God forbid — there's another major emergency, is just reckless,” he said.

Opponents also view SB 9 as a threat to neighborhoods’ previous low-density character. LeGras said that by building more units on lots that used to hold just one, homeowners could end up discouraging their neighbors from wanting to return.

“That's going to fundamentally change the character of that block,” LeGras said. “When you start talking duplexes and real, more substantial multifamily [homes], I think that's a bridge too far.”

SB 9 is banned, but ADUs are allowed 

None of the SB 9 applications submitted in Altadena so far have asked to split their lots, and none have asked for the maximum of four units. Instead, they’re adding more gentle forms of density.

Barger told LAist she has asked the county’s Public Works Department to report back to her on what higher density projects would mean for Altadena. But for now, she said, she wants to leave SB 9 on the table for homeowners struggling to rebuild.

Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger.

(

Samanta Helou Hernandez

/

LAist

)

So far, elected leaders in Malibu have also refrained from taking up the governor’s offer of banning SB 9 in burn zones. City officials told LAist last month that they had yet to receive any applications for lot splits.

Developer Andrew Slocum, CEO of Green Development Company, is working with homeowners on their SB 9 projects in Altadena. He said many are planning to add just one additional unit to their property. They’re using SB 9, he said, because it results in more advantageous property valuations than homeowners would get through typical accessory dwelling unit laws.

Slocum said Bass’s decision was a “knee jerk reaction” that “robbed” homeowners in the Pacific Palisades of better options for rebuilding.

“To just blanket take it away from them, when it really would result in the same amount of housing, the same amount of people as an ADU… it's really unfair,” Slocum said.

In Newsom’s executive order, which gave local leaders the option to suspend SB 9 in very high fire hazard severity burn zones, he said the state law was not tailored for natural disasters such as the deadly January fires that destroyed more than 13,000 homes.

The governor’s order does not apply to all of Altadena, but local leaders could suspend SB 9 in the community’s eastern foothills if they so choose.

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.