Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
Altadena residents can now use LA County-approved blueprints to rebuild homes
The Foothill Catalog Collective designed homes with Altadena's character in mind. This scale model is one of the group's designs.
(
Destiny Torres
/
LAist
)
Homeowners rebuilding in Altadena can now choose from preapproved home designs from the Foothill Catalog Foundation and the San Gabriel Valley Habitat for Humanity to help accelerate the construction process.
January's Eaton Fire burned across more than 14,000 acres and destroyed at least 9,400 structures. New state wildfire maps show that some portions of Altadena now have to meet wildfire building codes — which could be more costly.
The process could also be complex and tedious for some property owners. To help, the new initiative announced Friday could cut some red tape with preapproved building plans.
Alex Athenson, president and co-founder of the Foothill Catalog Foundation, said the plans can help save Altadena families time and money.
Support for LAist comes from
“What the Foothill Catalog is looking to do is give homeowners a head start in this rebuilding process by providing preapproved, non-custom architectural solutions to allow them to rebuild in a way that's feasible for them,” Athenson said.
What to know about the plans
All the plans are designed with fire resistance in mind, Athenson said.
“I think it's important that resiliency and affordability are not mutually exclusive,” he added. “Everyone deserves a home that is safe and a community that is safe as well.”
The house plans also take Altadena’s character into account, said Cynthia Sigler, co-founder of the Foothill Catalog Foundation.
That's been a “driving factor of the mission,” Sigler said. “It's really such a special community, so when this all happened, we really felt like we needed to do whatever we could to help.”
Support for LAist comes from
Cynthia Sigler and Alex Athenson, co-founders of the Foothill Catalog Foundation, designed home plans to help Altadena residents rebuild faster while mitigating costs.
(
Destiny Torres
/
LAist
)
The Foothill Catalog Foundation is supporting the planning phase, and Habitat for Humanity is then supporting the building of homes.
Bryan Wong, chief executive of the San Gabriel Valley Habitat for Humanity, said helping the Altadena community rebuild became a primary goal after the Eaton Fire.
“We hope with getting homes like this preapproved, basically, it's going to cut the construction time down dramatically,” Wong said. “We can't imagine these houses taking more than four months.”
What residents are saying
Some families have already been able to start rebuilding using the ready-to-use plans.
Kenneth Wood Jr. and his family lost their homes in the January fire and says the program was a saving grace.
Support for LAist comes from
“We were just kind of living in this suspended anxiety of what's next. We have no idea. No one's seen anything like this. What's the answer?” Wood said. “So it's really nice to have something that gives us hope.”
Of the preapproved homes in the Foothill Catalog, Wood’s parents chose the “Lewis” design — a 3-bedroom bungalow modeled after a house on Lewis Avenue that was lost to the fire.
“It was nice that they had some models that looked like houses in Altadena. As soon as my parents saw the Lewis model, they jumped at that one because that looks like home,” Wood said.
The Wood family of Altadena is one of the first to benefit from the Foothill Catalog Foundation and Habitat for Humanity.
(
Destiny Torres
/
LAist
)
L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger said the initiative is a win across the board.
“It is not government doing it. We were a partner. We helped uplift and get them approved. First time ever doing that,” Barger said. “It was ‘community,’ and that's why I love Altadena.”
How to get started
If you are a property owner affected by the Eaton Fire, you can fill out a form at SGV Habitat for Humanity’s website. The application asks about one’s household, property and financial information.
Support for LAist comes from
Aside from home rebuilding, Habitat for Humanity is also providing help with major or minor home repairs.
LAist also has a resource guide helping communities get back on their feet, including help with child support, financial assistance and mental health counseling and more.
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
With California voters facing a decision on redistricting this November, Surf City is poised to join the brewing battle over Congressional voting districts. -
The drug dealer, the last of five defendants to plead guilty to federal charges linked to the 'Friends' actor’s death, will face a maximum sentence of 65 years in prison.
-
The weather’s been a little different lately, with humidity, isolated rain and wind gusts throughout much of Southern California. What’s causing the late-summer bout of gray?
-
Hexavalent chromium is the same carcinogen Erin Brockovich warned about in the 1990s, but researchers say more study is needed on the potential health effects of nanoparticles detected earlier this year. Experts will answer questions at a webinar this evening.
-
The budget gap has led to a tuition hike, along with spending cuts and fewer course offerings. At the same time, generative AI already has transformed higher ed — including post-grad job prospects.
-
The construction work is part of a $143.7 million plan to rehabilitate pavement between Van Nuys and Westwood along the Sepulveda Pass.
Best of LAist