What we know about housing, cash assistance and other Lineage fire recovery efforts

This story first appeared on The LA Local.

Nearly one month after the Lineage warehouse fire, residents are still trying to figure out what recovery help is available and how to access it. 

At a public forum last week, Lineage announced temporary housing, cash assistance, grocery vouchers and other support for residents living near the warehouse. 

Since then, Airbnb announced an additional $1 million for emergency housing, on top of the $600,000 of housing support it has already provided since the fire.

Boyle Heights Beat reached out to Lineage, Airbnb, and 211 LA, a helpline for residents across L.A. County, to learn how residents can access these resources. 

We’ll update as we confirm information. Here’s what we know so far:

Temporary housing is available. Here’s how it works

Residents who live near the Lineage warehouse can be eligible for free emergency housing provided by Airbnb.org, a nonprofit founded by Airbnb.

“Displaced residents will be provided with an Airbnb stay that meets their needs, including staying near their workplace, school, family, or support network,” according to Airbnb.org.

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Courtesy of the office of Mayor Karen Bass

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Here’s who’s eligible

A map shows that people living between Beswick Street and Union Pacific Avenue and between Los Palos Street and South Hicks Avenue may be eligible for emergency housing. 

To determine eligibility, Gilbert Zavala, a spokesperson with 211 LA, said residents will need: 

• a photo ID 
• proof of housing, such as a rental agreement, a mortgage statement, a utility bill from the last 60 days, a paycheck stub or a piece of mail from the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), the IRS, or the county of L.A.

How to apply

A dedicated hotline has been set up for impacted households in need of temporary housing. Residents can call (626) 406-2786 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week. 

While residents can call 211, those seeking temporary housing will be directed to the hotline number, Zavala said.

“We’re continuing to assess needs and working to establish additional emergency options to support households,” Zavala said. 

Residents can request air purifiers and AC units

Lineage has released a community contact form for residents to fill out to receive air purifiers, N95 masks and air conditioner units. The form asks for name, email, telephone number and street address. 

Residents can also write additional comments in the form, if necessary.

In addition, several community organizations, including Proyecto Pastoral and Weingart East Los Angeles YMCA, as well as local elected leaders, have been offering resources.

Cash assistance and vouchers are still unclear

Lineage Chief Operations Officer Jeff Rivera on Thursday announced cash assistance, housing vouchers for residents in 400 homes closest to the warehouse, and grocery vouchers that would be redeemable at Food4Less on Olympic Boulevard and Calada Street, a few blocks from the warehouse. 

As of Tuesday, Lineage said it had teams going door-to-door connecting residents directly with resources including cash assistance, and grocery and housing vouchers.

Lineage, which said residents can receive direct financial assistance through prepaid cards, has not answered questions from Boyle Heights Beat about who is eligible and if there are other ways to access this support.

Lineage has not shared further information on how it would support residents’ utility bills through LADWP, as it noted in a July 9 statement.

Lineage hotline number isn’t available yet 

The Lineage COO on Thursday also said that a community support hotline would launch July 13 to answer resident questions directly. As of Tuesday no such number has been displayed on their website or Instagram.

To contact Lineage directly, residents can email boyleheights@onelineage.com.

Cleanup continues and air quality

As of Monday, Lineage reported 356 tons of food waste had been removed to date. 

Regular updates on the cleanup schedule and daily air monitoring are available through Lineage’s website, printed flyers and a dedicated Instagram account.

The South Coast Air Quality Management District is also conducting continuous air monitoring at Robert Louis Stevenson Middle School and Eastman Avenue Elementary School, as well as unannounced air quality assessments throughout the community, according to the city. Data can be found at AQMD.gov/Palos.

Odor complaints

The South Coast AQMD on Monday said it issued a violation to Lineage for odors impacting nearby communities. 

More than 40 public complaints reporting rotten, sour, garbage-type odors in the area were received on July 12, AQMD said. “Inspectors responded to the complaints, confirmed the odors with community members, and traced them back to cleanup operations at the facility,” the agency said. 

Such violations can result in civil penalties or even a lawsuit.

The notice comes after AQMD on Thursday urged residents to call (800) CUTSMOG if they’re dealing with odors and issue a complaint every day in order to track the severity.