Ruben Amaro in U.S. Army uniform (left) and his daughter, Julie Sands, at 6 years old.
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Courtesy of Julie Sands
)
Topline:
Boyle Heights Beat spoke with East L.A. native and author Julie Sands about her advocacy for veterans and how writing a book about her father helped her begin to heal.
Why it matters: When Sands’ father returned from the Vietnam War in 1968, he was not the same man who had left. Sands explained that while many veterans come home and “get a job, resume their married life and have children,” it’s not always that simple.
Why now: For the 14th year in a row, Sands will help organize the Memorial Day celebration at the Mexican American All Wars Memorial at Cinco Puntos in Boyle Heights. With a small-but-mighty team of planners, she works to honor those who died while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces.
Read on... for Sands' reflections and more details about her involvement in the celebration.
This story was originally published by Boyle Heights Beat on May 23, 2025.
When East L.A. native and author Julie Sands’ father returned from the Vietnam War in 1968, he was not the same man who had left.
Sands explained that while many veterans come home and “get a job, resume their married life and have children,” it’s not always that simple.
Her father, Ruben Amaro, came back to East L.A. with post-traumatic stress disorder, struggled with drug and alcohol abuse, “and he could never resume a normal life,” said Sands.
“Growing up and having to experience the ramifications of war on a child is something that no one talks about. Everyone speaks about the veterans, but they don’t speak about the children of veterans.”
Sands chronicled her experiences in her 2010 memoir, “War Dad: A Daughter’s Story of Surviving PTSD and the Effects of War,” which recounts growing up in a military family in East L.A. The book led her to connect with other veterans and their families who had dealt with the same pain.
Ruben Amaro, Sands’ father, served in the Vietnam War.
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Courtesy of Julie Sands
)
Now, for the 14th year in a row, Sands will help organize the Memorial Day celebration at the Mexican American All Wars Memorial at Cinco Puntos in Boyle Heights. With a small-but-mighty team of planners, she works to honor those who died while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces.
“I am grateful to be able to do this for the city of Los Angeles,” Sands said. “No matter how hot the political scene gets in CD 14, community [members] are always the ones who come to the ceremony.”
We spoke to Sands about her advocacy for veterans and how writing a book about her father helped her begin to heal. The interview has been edited for length and clarity.
BHB: How did growing up in a military family – especially with a father struggling with PTSD – shape your life and perspective?
Julie Sands: Growing up with a parent who has a military background can be very tough and it’s tough growing up with a parent who has PTSD, because it affects generations, and it affects your home life. It makes you grow up fast. It makes you aware of political situations. There is fear and uncertainty, and you have to learn how to manage all of those feelings and emotions and still make it through life yourself. So it can be a tough road when a family member takes the military route.
BHB: What emotional challenges did you face while revisiting your story to write “War Dad”?
Julie Sands: The entire book was challenging because I had already healed. I had already put those memories away. I was married, I was raising my children, and to write that book was like getting a knife and slicing my heart open and letting it bleed. It was extremely painful, extremely difficult, extremely emotional, but I did it because I knew I could help other people.
BHB: What drives you to keep honoring veterans through the annual Memorial Day celebration at Cinco Puntos?
Julie Sands: When I wrote [“War Dad”], I thought to myself, ‘how am I going to reach out to the families of the veterans and try to rescue the daughters and the sons that are going to go through what I went through with the soldiers coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan?’ And the best way I could do that is to plug myself directly into the veterans community. And that’s what I did. In doing that, I was able to connect with family members and children and daughters of fathers of war and begin to help them to heal as well, and to teach them the skills on how to heal from their childhood when they had a parent with PTSD.
My father didn’t have a choice. He went to war, he was drafted, he came back with PTSD, and he wasn’t able to resume a normal life. So I wanted to represent my father, and that’s why I stand on that stage in Boyle Heights and East L.A., because I’m representing my father and his name and showing that no matter what happens in life, you can rise above your situation and you can make things better again.
Mexican American All Wars Memorial at Cinco Puntos on May 21, 2025.
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Andrew Lopez
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Boyle Heights Beat
)
A plaque can be seen at the Mexican American All Wars Memorial.
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Andrew Lopez
/
Boyle Heights Beat
)
BHB: What kind of impact have you seen from holding Memorial Day events in East L.A. and Boyle Heights?
Julie Sands: Every single time I walk off that stage at the Mexican-American All Wars Memorial at Cinco Puntos, there are people just coming up to me crying, hugging me and telling me thank you. They thank me for telling my story, because they also went through that. And then they want me to talk to their daughters. They want me to meet their family member who has PTSD. Back in the 60s and 70s, there was no help for us. There was no counseling for families. So no one spoke of it. And so when they hear my story for the first time, it’s almost like, if they’re liberated as well, like they’re free now to speak about the trauma they went through, and that’s what I get every single ceremony.
BHB: Beyond Memorial Day, how do you continue to support families of veterans?
Julie Sands: I have a company called the Be Amazing Project. My objective was to use the skills that I created, exercises, verbalizations, and thought process, and take them into the schools so that I can get to the children of military families. And I’ve been blessed to be able to get into the Los Angeles Unified School District, the Montebello Unified School District. I’ve gone into high schools, middle schools, and continuation schools, and I connect with children of veterans and any children who have military family members, and I teach them how to rise above their situation and succeed in school and succeed at home.
BHB: Are you planning any new elements for this year’s Memorial Day celebration?
Julie Sands: This year, what I’d like to begin doing during the ceremony is to hold a space for people to stand with a picture of their fallen loved one, whether they passed in combat or they passed away after they came back from war. I’m going to give them the opportunity to call out their name. And I think that would be very, very powerful, because Memorial Day is a day to remember.
Event details:
78th Annual Memorial Day commemoration at the Mexican American All Wars Memorial
Date: 10 to 11 a.m., Monday, May 26, 2025
Location: Cinco Puntos, 3300 E. Cesar E. Chavez Avenue
Sunset Boulevard House, also known as The Bridges House by architect Robert Bridges, was destroyed by the Palisades Fire.
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Brian van der Brug
/
Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
)
Topline:
The Eaton and Pacific Palisades fires renewed attention to issues such as utility oversight, insurance coverage, and the broader challenges of wildfire planning in a changing climate. But California found pushing its climate agenda forward to be an uphill battle this year: ambitious climate goals faced a hostile federal government economic pressures.
Agenda setbacks: Anticipating opposition from President Donald Trump, state leaders chose to abandon important clean-air rules before he even took office, including plans to phase out diesel trucks and transition to cleaner trains. Nearing mid-year, Trump and his allies in Congress blocked the state’s clean-car mandate, a blow to emissions reduction plans. By the end of the legislative session, these issues converged, as legislators passed a six-bill deal that included a plan to boost oil drilling, relief for ratepayers who fund wildfire mitigation, and an extension of the now rebranded “cap-and-invest” program.
Read on... for more on what 2025 delivered on the climate front.
Days after 2025 began, two fires scorched through Los Angeles neighborhoods, the most destructive in California’s history. The Eaton and Pacific Palisades fires also renewed attention to issues such as utility oversight, insurance coverage, and the broader challenges of wildfire planning in a changing climate. And their harms rippled outward, leaving thousands of low-income workers and immigrants without jobs.
Nevertheless, as part of budget negotiations, Gov. Gavin Newsom sought to reauthorize California’s landmark cap-and-trade program, launching a debate that would resolve in the final hours of the legislative session.
Blaming climate and environmental regulation, Phillips 66 and Valero followed through on plans to shutter oil refineries, raising concerns about gas prices and the future of the state’s oil industry. In Wilmington, Phillips 66 is now closed. A high-profile explosion at Chevron’s El Segundo refinery nearby underscored persistent safety and environmental risks tied to remaining facilities.
By the end of the legislative session, these issues converged, as legislators passed a six-bill deal that included a plan to boost oil drilling, relief for ratepayers who fund wildfire mitigation, and an extension of the now rebranded “cap-and-invest” program.
As lawmakers passed sweeping reforms to California’s landmark environmental review law, critics warned exemptions may make it easier for potentially high-polluting advanced manufacturing facilities to take root in already vulnerable areas.
Affordability, the cost of climate adaptation, and pollution harms, in the skies and in the waste stream, continue to be key issues for California. As Gov. Gavin Newsom’s balancing act continues, the state will navigate tensions with environmental justice advocates unhappy with compromises. Emerging risks include the cost – in energy and water – of data centers, and the environmental consequences of the battery economy.
The float 'Circus Memories' heads down the parade route during the 110th Annual Rose Parade.
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Vince Bucci
/
AFP via Getty Images
)
Topline:
For more than a century, the Rose Parade has delighted audiences across Southern California with its colorful, elaborate floats and fanfare.
What you should know: The parade will celebrate its 137th year when floats begin traveling through Pasadena at 8 a.m. Jan. 1, 2026. This year's theme is "Magic in Teamwork," and Magic Johnson is the Grand Marshal.
Keep reading... for details about key participants — from movie and music stars to sports legends to real-life heroes, and a even a couple of fictional characters, and some vintage photos.
For more than a century, the Rose Parade has delighted audiences across Southern California with its colorful, elaborate floats and fanfare.
The parade will celebrate its 137th year when floats begin traveling through Pasadena at 8 a.m. Jan. 1, 2026. This year's theme is "Magic in Teamwork," and Magic Johnson is the Grand Marshal.
This year, for the first time in two decades, rain appears to be highly likely on parade day. Rain conditions are rare for the legendary parade.
Showing off SoCal weather, in fact, was one of the main drivers of the parade's creation.
As the Pasadena Tournament of Roses website recounts, Charles F. Holder led Valley Hunt Club members in creating the parade in 1890, saying: “In New York, people are buried in snow. Here our flowers are blooming and our oranges are about to bear. Let’s hold a festival to tell the world about our paradise.”
Here are photos from some of the Rose Parades past, with details about key participants — from movie and music stars to sports legends to real-life heroes, and a even a couple of fictional characters:
1939
Theme: "Golden Memories"
Burbank's 1939 Rose Parade float was titled "Tally-Ho of 1889," calling back to horse drawn wagons popular in the early years of the parade. 1939 was the 50th anniversary of the parade.
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Herman J. Schultheis
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Los Angeles Photographers Collection
)
Key people:
Lathrop K. Leishman, President
Shirley Temple, Grand Marshal
Barbara Dougall, Rose Queen
1946
Theme: "Victory, Unity & Peace"
'Winged Victory' leads the floats in the 1946 Rose Parade, just behindis the 'Dawn of Peace' float carrying the Rose Parade Queen and her court.
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Security Pacific National Bank Collection
/
L.A. Public Library
)
Key people:
Charles A. Strutt, President
Admiral William F. Halsey, Grand Marshal
Patricia Auman, Rose Queen
1960
Theme: "Tall Tales and True"
Glendale's entry in the 1960 Rose Parade honored the "pioneer spirit" and took home the governor's trophy.
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Valley Times collection
/
L.A. Public Library
)
Key people:
Raymond A. Dorn, President
Vice President Richard M. Nixon, Grand Marshal
Margarethe Bertelson, Rose Queen
1975
Theme: "Heritage of America"
Baseball player Hank Aaron waves to the crowd as grand marshal of the 1975 Tournament of Roses parade in Pasadena, Jan. 1, 1975. Riding with him in the open car is his wife, Billye.
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AP
)
Key people:
Carl H. Hoelscher, President
Paul G. Bryan, President
Henry L. "Hank" Aaron, Grand Marshal
Robin Carr, Rose Queen
1982
Theme: "Friends And Neighbors"
Actor Jimmy Stewart, grand marshal of the 93rd Tournament of Roses Parade, waves to the crowd as he's accompanied by his wife, Gloria, Jan. 1, 1982.
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Reed Saxon
/
AP
)
Key people:
Harold E. Coombes Jr., President
Jimmy Stewart, Grand Marshall
Kathryn Potthast, Rose Queen
1990
Theme: "A World of Harmony"
Zsa Zsa Gabor rides her Tennessee walking horse Silver Fox in the 101st Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, Calif., on Jan. 1, 1990. The appearance of the famous cop-slapper angered many spectators, who booed loudly as she rode by.
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Douglas C. Pizac
/
AP
)
Key people:
Don W. Fedde, President
Sen. John Glenn, Grand Marshal
Yasmine Delawari, Rose Queen
1996
Theme: "Kids' Laughter & Dreams"
Kailey Zelek 9, left, Emily Parris 14, center, and Katie Dennis 10, sell 'Kermit the Frog' puppets to bystanders along the Rose Parade route in Pasadena, Jan. 1, 1996. Kermit the Frog is the first non-human to be named Grand Marshal alone.
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Damian Dovarganes
/
AP
)
Left to right, supermodels Kathy Ireland, Vendela and Naomi Campbell wave to the crowd while riding on a float based on the children's fable, "Jack and the Beanstalk" during the 107th Tournament of Roses Parade Jan. 1, 1996.
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John T. Barr
/
AFP via Getty Images
)
Key people:
W.H. Griest Jr., President
Kermit the Frog, Grand Marshal
Keli Hutchins, Rose Queen
1997
Theme: "Life's Shining Moments"
The California State PTA "The Field Trip" float makes its way down the parade route during the 108th Tournament of Roses Parade on Wednesday, Jan. 1, 1997.
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Damian Dovarganes
/
AP
)
Key people:
William S. Johnstone Jr., President
Carl Lewis, Grand Marshal
Shannon Miller, Grand Marshal
Jennifer Halferty, Rose Queen
1999
Theme: "Echoes of the Century"
The Florists' Transworld Delivery float, "Mother's Day," along with other floats and bands travel down the 110th Tournament of Roses Parade route on Jan. 1, 1999.
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Damian Dovarganes
/
AP
)
Four of the named Grand Marshals of the 1999 Tournament of Roses Parade, from left: astronaut Buzz Aldrin, Ray Bartlett, lifelong friend of baseball legend Jackie Robinson, film producer and documentarian David Wolper and actress Shirley Temple Black.
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Nick Ut
/
AP
)
Key people:
Dick E. Ratli, President
Buzz Aldrin, Grand Marshal
Jackie Robinson, Grand Marshal (posthumously)
Shirley Temple Black, Grand Marshal
David L. Wolper, Grand Marshal
Christina Farrell, Rose Queen
2000
Theme: "Celebrate 2000: Visions of the Future"
The 2000 Tournament of Roses Royal Court poses for a photo during a ceremony Tuesday, Oct. 26, 1999. Sophia Bush, then 17, was crowned the 82nd Rose Queen and went on to a successful acting career.
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Nick Ut
/
AP
)
An entry in the parade.
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Scott Nelson
/
AFP via Getty Images
)
Key people:
Kenneth H. Burrows, President
Roy E. Disney, Grand Marshal
Sophia Bush, Rose Queen
2002
Theme: "Good Times"
A giant motorcycle-riding Uncle Sam carries New York firemen, police, and military personnel in front of the Statue of Liberty on the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States float at the 113th Annual Rose Parade.
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David McNew
/
Getty Images
)
Key people:
Ronald A. Okum, President
Regis Philbin, Grand Marshal
Caroline Hsu, Rose Queen
2005
Theme: "Celebrate Family"
Grand Marshal Mickey Mouse rides in the 116th Tournament Of Roses Parade.
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Matthew Simmons
/
Getty Images
)
Key people:
David M. Davis, President
Mickey Mouse, Grand Marshal
Ashley Moreno, Rose Queen
2006
Theme: "It's Magical"
Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor served as Grand Marshal the last time it rained on the parade in 2006. Rain is forecast again for the 2026 parade.
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Anne Cusack
/
Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
)
Pachyderm Parade float by the City of Burbank makes its way down Orange Grove in the rain, the first time rain came down on the parade in more than 50 years.
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Anne Cusack/Los Angeles Times via Getty Imag
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Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
)
Key people:
Elizabeth Evans Wright, President
Sandra Day O'Connor, Grand Marshal
Camille Clark, Rose Queen
2009
Theme: "Hats Off to Entertainment"
The University of Southern California cheerleaders perform at the 120th Tournament of Roses Parade Jan. 1, 2009. (Photo: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)
Key people:
Ronald H. Conzonire, President
Cloris Leachman, Grand Marshal
Courtney Lee, Rose Queen
2010
Theme: 2010: A Cut Above the Rest
Rose Queen Natalie Anne Innocenzi and her court the on the parade route during the 121st annual Tournment of Roses Parade on Jan. 1, 2010. (Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)
Key people:
Gary J. DiSano, President
Capt. Chelsey B. "Sully" Sullenberger III, Grand Marshal
Natalie Innocenzi, Rose Queen
2011
Theme: Building Dreams, Friendship & Memories
Evanne Friedmann was named Rose Queen for the 2011 parade. .
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Frederick M. Brown
/
Getty Images
)
The Southwest DeKalb High School marching band from Decatur, Georgia played in the 2011 parade.
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Robyn Beck
/
AFP via Getty Images
)
Key people:
Jerey L. Throop, President
Paula Deen, Grand Marshal
Evanne Friedmann, Rose Queen
2012
Theme: "Just Imagine..."
Members of Wells Fargo theme float 'Just Imagine...' move along Orange Grove Boulevard during the 123rd Tournament of Roses Parade. (Photo: Ringo H.W. Chiu/AP)
Musician Kenny G participates in the Rose Parade on Jan. 2, 2012 in Pasadena, California. (Photo: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)
Key people:
Richard W. Jackson, President
J.R. Martinez, Grand Marshal
Drew Washington, Rose Queen
2014
Theme: "Dreams Come True"
Parade Grand Marshal Vin Scully and wife Sandra Hunt attend the 125th Tournament of Roses Parade on Jan. 1, 2014. (Photo: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)
Key people:
R. Scott Jenkins, President
Vin Scully, Grand Marshal
Ana Acosta, Rose Queen
2016
Theme: "Find Your Adventure"
The Disneyland Resort float is on display at the 127th Tournament of Roses Parade on Jan. 1, 2016. (Photo: Scott Brinegar/Disneyland via Getty Images)
Key people:
Mike Matthiessen, President
Ken Burns, Grand Marshal
Erika Winter, Rose Queen
2017
Theme: "Echoes of Success"
Members of the Escuela Secundaria Tecnica Industrial No. 3 Buhos Marching Band, Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico participate in the 128th Tournament of Roses Parade on Jan. 2, 2017. (Photo: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)
Key people:
Brad Ratli, President
Janet Evans, Grand Marshal
Allyson Felix, Grand Marshal
Greg Louganis, Grand Marshal
Victoria Castellanos, Rose Queen
2018
Theme: "Making a Difference"
The Burbank Tournament of Roses Association float won the Founder Award at the 129th Rose Parade. (Photo: Michael Owen Baker/AP)
Key people:
Lance Tibbet, President
Gary Sinese, Grand Marshal
Isabella Marez, Rose Queen
2019
Theme: "The Melody of Life"
Tournament of Roses Grand Marshal Chaka Khan waves during the 130th Rose Parade on Jan. 1, 2019. (Photo: Michael Owen Baker/AP)
The UPS Store float, 'Books Keep Us on Our Toes' and winner of the Sweepstakes Award, moves along the route in the 2019 Tournament of Roses Rose Parade. (Photo: Carlos Delgado/AP)
Key people:
Gerald Freeny, President
Chaka Khan, Grand Marshal
Louise Siskel, Rose Queen
2020
Theme: “The Power of Hope”
In this 2020 Rose Parade float, cartoon animals operate heavy equipment
(
Sharon McNary
/
LAist
)
Key people:
Laura Farber, President
Camille Kennedy, Rose Queen
Rita Moreno, Grand Marshall
Gina Torres, Grand Marshall
Laurie Hernandez, Grand Marshall
2022
Theme: "Dream. Believe. Achieve."
The parade returned in 2022 after being cancelled in 2021 due to the COVID pandemic.
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Alborz Kamalizad
/
LAist
)
Participants in the float for the City of Alhambra way during the Rose Parade of 2022.
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Alborz Kamalizad
/
LAist
)
Key people:
Dr. Robert B. Miller President
Nadia Chung, Rose Queen
LeVar, Burton Grand Marshall
2023
Theme: "Turning the Corner"
The Cal Poly Universities float in the 2023 Rose Parade was named "Road to Reclamation" and won the "Extraordinaire Award". Cal Poly has appeared in parade 74 times.
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Mariana Dale
/
LAist
)
Key people:
Amy Wainscott, President
Bella Ballard, Rose Queen
Gabby Giffords, Grand Marshall
2024
Theme: "Celebrating a World of Music: The Universal Language"
The 2024 Rose Parade.
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Michael Blackshire
/
Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
)
Key people:
Alex Aghajanian, President
Naomi Stillitano, Rose Queen
Audra McDonald, Grand Marshall
2025
Theme: "Best Day Ever!"
Tennis great Billie Jean King, was the Grand Marshal of 2025 Rose Parade.
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Damian Dovarganes
/
AP
)
Key people:
Ed Morales, President
Lindsay Charles, Rose Queen
Billie Jean King, Grand Marshall
2026
Theme: "The Magic in Teamwork"
Key people:
Mark Leavens, President
Serena Hui Guo, Rose Queen
Magic Johnson, Grand Marshall
A version of this story initially ran in 2019. It has been updated with additional parade details.
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California enacted a number of AI regulations in 2025, often in watered-down form. The Dreamforce conference hosted by Salesforce in San Francisco on Sept. 18, 2024.
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Florence Middleton
/
CalMatters
)
Topline:
California showed it was serious about regulating Big Tech in 2025 — and Big Tech showed it was serious about coming to the statehouse and fighting back.
Why it matters: The upshot was a barrage of laws designed to curb tech harms but often in watered down form.
What's next: Next year will see no end to the tension between protecting Californians from artificial intelligence and the impulse to protect the flow of money into the industry.
Read on... for more on Big Tech regulation in 2025.
California showed it was serious about regulating Big Tech in 2025 — and Big Tech showed it was serious about coming to the statehouse and fighting back.
The upshot was a barrage of laws designed to curb tech harms but often in watered down form.
Take San Francisco Democratic Sen. Scott Weiner’s legislation to keep artificial intelligence systems from enabling catastrophes like biological weapons attacks. The original version would have mandated safeguards over AI systems and imposed possible liability on their developers.Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed it amid concerns that it would stifle innovation in the state’s booming AI industry. This year’s version, signed into law, merely requires big AI companies to publish safety frameworks and creates a pathway for reporting safety incidents.
Still, advocates for more regulation won some outright victories, including a new browser setting to forbid websites from transferring personal data. Experts say this “opt out” will end up helping consumers across the U.S.
Meanwhile, California’s executive branch struggled with the process of guarding against online hackers, losing its top cybersecurity official amid discord in the office that position oversees. Law enforcement agencies across the state also struggled to correctly handle the digital data they collected, with many local police departments illegally sharing information on vehicle movements, gleaned from automated license plate readers, with federal agencies like Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
2026 outlook
Next year will see no end to the tension between protecting Californians from artificial intelligence and the impulse to protect the flow of money into the industry. An ambitious bill requiring disclosure of AI use in consequential decisions, such as in housing and education, will return. Data centers will stir controversy as AI spikes their power use, potentially opening the door to nuclear power. Lastly, the Trump administration and Republicans in Congress have drawn up proposals — thus far not acted upon — to preempt state laws regulating AI. If enacted, such plans would hit California hardest.
Report finds investors buying 44% of Altadena lots
David Wagner
covers housing in Southern California, where a massive post-fire rebuilding effort is now underway.
Published December 30, 2025 5:01 AM
A look at cleared lots in August, just over six months after the Eaton Fire, which claimed 19 lives and destroyed more than 9,000 structures. A new report finds a large number of lots are going to corporate buyers.
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Robyn Beck
/
AFP via Getty Images
)
Topline:
Nearly one year after fires destroyed thousands of homes in L.A. County, many families have concluded that rebuilding isn’t in their budget. In nearly half of recent deals for empty lots, homeowners are selling to investors. That’s the conclusion researchers with the online real estate listings platform Redfin reached in a new report published this morning.
The numbers: Analyzing transactions in L.A. County burn zones during July, August and September, they found that about 40% of Pacific Palisades vacant lots went to corporate buyers. In both Altadena and Malibu, about 44% of such vacant lot sales went to investors.
The context: Investor activity is common following disasters. While some say they can be helpful in bringing homes back to ravaged communities, others are skeptical about their plans. Some lawmakers and organizations have been working to counteract speculative development in Altadena.
Read on… to learn why one Altadena fire survivor sees this trend as “disaster capitalism” coming for the diverse foothill community.
Shortly after the Eaton Fire destroyed thousands of homes in and around Altadena, signs sprung up across the community announcing “Altadena is not for sale.”
Now, nearly one year later, hundreds of Altadena families have concluded that rebuilding isn’t in their budget. In nearly half of recent deals for empty lots, homeowners are selling to investors.
That’s the conclusion researchers with the online real estate listings platform Redfin reached in a new report published Tuesday.
Analyzing transactions in L.A. County burn zones during July, August and September, they found that about 40% of Pacific Palisades vacant lots went to corporate buyers. In both Altadena and Malibu, about 44% of such vacant lot sales went to investors.
“It's not uncommon to see that when disasters hit a place, investors come in,” said Sheharyar Bokhari, Redfin’s principal economist. “It's hard to value a vacant lot, so you could perhaps buy lower than what it should sell for and then flip it.”
More vacant lots are getting scooped up
To conduct the analysis, Redfin researchers looked at sales in the zip codes 90272 for the Pacific Palisades, 91001 for Altadena and 90265 for Malibu. They categorized buyers as investors if their names contained words or abbreviations such as LLC, Inc, Corp or Homes.
There was a marked increase of vacant lots sales in all communities, according to the report. In the Pacific Palisades, 119 lots sold in July, August and September. Altadena saw 61 lot sales. In 2024, before the fires, neither Pacific Palisades nor Altadena had any lots selling in those months.
Malibu saw some vacant lots sell in that time frame in 2024. But before the fires, only about 21% of those sales were to investors.
The findings are similar to those in a separate report published in October by the nonprofit Strategic Actions for a Just Economy. That report found that 49% of sales in the Eaton Fire burn zone went to corporate entities.
Zaire Calvin lost his family’s home in Altadena and had a sister who died in the fire. He said the trend shows “disaster capitalism” poised to change the diverse foothill community.
“If rebuilding becomes a race for capital instead of a return home for families, then disaster has been basically repackaged as opportunity for those with the most resources,” Calvin said. “It's like they're preying on us while we're still praying for hope and help.”
Some lawmakers and organizations have been working to counteract speculative development..
Assembly Bill 851, signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in October, outlawed unsolicited offers on properties in burn zones until 2027.
The nonprofit Greenline Housing Foundation has been buying lots from distressed sellers in Altadena, giving them an alternative to more bottom-line driven investors. The organization has said it intends to rebuild homes and sell them at below market prices to first-time buyers.
Corporate buyers: disaster capitalists or helpful rebuilders?
Bokhari, the Redfin economist, said investor activity is not entirely detrimental to communities recovering from disaster.
“Investors who have a lot more capital can come in and build that community,” he said. They can afford to clean up lingering environmental damage and build homes that comply with the latest fire safety codes, he said.
“Investors play that role in bringing back those homes,” Bokhari said.
Still, uncertainty around investors’ plans have left many Altadenans anxious. Will homes be for sale or for rent? How will those homes look? Will investor-built properties give Black families a way to continue building generational wealth in a historically Black corner of L.A. County?
Lori Gay, president and CEO of Neighborhood Housing Services of L.A. County, said in the grand scheme of L.A. real estate, not many lots in Altadena are trading hands so far. Only 61 lots in the community sold in July, August and September according to the Redfin report.
“More will go up for sale over time,” Gay said. But in her organization’s work advising families on how to rebuild, she said, “Most families we’ve seen want to go back home. They’re not trying to leave. They’re trying to figure out how to stay.”
For more on disparities in disaster recovery
Listen
27:41
Listen to The Big One: The Economy
It turns out natural disasters don't just reveal inequality; they actually make it worse. Researchers have found that earthquakes, fires, floods, hurricanes, all widen the gap for people of color.
