Time is running out for Rancho Palos Verdes residents to apply for landslide aid grants

Rancho Palos Verdes residents affected by the massive landslide complex have until June 30 to apply for a $10,000 grant.

The money can be used for equipment such as generators and home repairs to allow residents to continue living in their home, as well as temporary housing and storage expenses.

Last year, the city received $2.8 million from L.A. County Supervisor Janice Hahn’s office to provide immediate financial relief. Around 220 residents have already received $2.2 million of the grant money.

Any money left over after the 5 p.m. Monday deadline will be transferred to the city’s Capital Improvement Program to spend on landslide remediation efforts.

How we got here

Above average rainfall in 2023 and 2024 led to an increase in land movement, pulling apart structures, cutting gas and power lines and severing roads. Hundreds of residents are still without power or gas and around 20 homes were red-tagged, meaning they are uninhabitable.

At one point last year, land was moving up to 1 foot a week in some areas. That has since slowed with around-the-clock dewatering wells, but experts say the landslide can’t be totally stopped.

So are conditions improving?

In short, no.

It’s helped, however, that the area has had below average rainfall this year. And wells that pump water out of the ground have helped further slow movement.

But that effort is costing the city quite a bit. In this fiscal year, the city spent almost the same amount of money it takes to run the entire city — around $39 million — just on landslide remediation efforts. And in the budget for the upcoming fiscal year that starts in July, around $17 million was earmarked for landslide related projects.

The city’s eventual plan is to buy back homes within the landslide complex and turn the lots into open land. City leaders have already started the process of buying around 23 homes with federal funding.

How to apply for the grant

• Fill out an application on the city website. You can submit the form online or in person at City Hall. 
• Include the following with your application:
  
  • Copy of proof of government issued-ID.
  • Receipts showing eligible costs or a sworn personal statement confirming the costs.