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These LA homes were about to be torn down. Now they’re getting new life in fire-ravaged Altadena
The Taft Avenue house in Hollywood will get a new community.
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Cato Hernández
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Residents of Altadena who lost their homes have faced a huge crossroads: rebuild theirs or move into a new one.
For many, high rebuilding and housing market costs are making it harder to return to their community. But what if there was a less expensive alternative to rebuilding that also didn’t mean changing your address?
That’s where the Historic House Relocation Project comes in. The project is replacing homes by taking ones slated for demolition and putting them on fire-affected lots. The first two homes are expected to begin the move over the next few weeks.
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Moving homes revives an old approach
The project is being led by Omgivning, an L.A.-based architecture and interiors firm that focuses on adaptive reuse of existing buildings.
Morgan Sykes Jaybush, creative director at the firm, got the idea in early February while looking at lists of demolition permits for buildings over 40 years old.
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“They’re not designated historic, but they’re just like great, sweet houses,” Jaybush said. “It made me just really sad to see that there was nothing that could be done about it.”
Want to participate?
The project is open to anyone who lost a home in the Eaton or Palisades fires, has an empty lot and can afford the move.
If you’re a homeowner interested in donating a house, or know about a home that could be donated, you can fill out this form. If you’re interested in acquiring a house to relocate to your property, fill out this form.
Omgivning can also be reached at HouseRelocation@Omgivning.com or (213) 596-5602.
Then a lightbulb moment hit. Couldn’t these homes help Altadena?
Relocating homes isn’t new, but it doesn’t happen as much as it used to. In the mid-1900s, plenty of houses were moved for various redevelopment reasons, such as razing Bunker Hill, building the 101 Freeway, or even just expanding a school.
Over the last five years, L.A. has issued just eight relocation permits, according to building and safety spokesperson Devin Myrick. Brad Chambers, a conservationist and consultant on the project, said there are a lot of benefits.
“ Preservation’s really the first, second benefit is you’re contributing to the housing supply,” Chambers said. “The third is you are actually keeping things from going into the landfill.”
Currently, a pair of two-story homes are in the process of moving to Altadena. Dozens more may be on the way.
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How relocating works
Omgivning connects interested homeowners to properties that are scheduled to be razed. Jaybush is also assisting with permits and contracting. He’s found around 80 other houses to relocate with about a dozen families already lined up to buy.
“ We’ve been slowly cold calling those property owners to see if they would allow us to relocate the house in lieu of throwing it into a landfill,” he said.
If all goes well, the two parties forge a deal — ideally at a very low cost — to transfer ownership of just the materials on the lot before it’s torn down. The new owners are responsible for the moving costs and rehabilitation, if it’s needed.
The Saint George Street home in Los Feliz on July 16, 2025. This house's second story has been removed.
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LAist
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The top of the Saint George Street house.
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Cato Hernández
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LAist
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The home is dismantled once an agreement is set. If there’s a second story, it’s removed, along with things like cabinets and baseboards, and stashed on the first floor. That can take about six weeks depending on the size.
The buildings are then split into pieces, like a loaf of bread, and moved individually on flatbed trucks at night. A special route is planned out that avoids bridges, underpasses, railroad tracks, freeways and powerlines.
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Once at their destinations, the homes are reassembled on box cribs while a new foundation is built. That process can take about six months. The home is then lowered onto the foundation and connected to plumbing, gas and electricity.
‘Like a house I grew up in’
Evan Chambers stands on the second floor of the Taft Avenue house on July 16, 2025. The Chambers family has been living in his glass-blowing warehouse in Pasadena in the interim.
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One of the first homes moving is a 1911 two-story Craftsman on Taft Avenue in Hollywood. A few days prior to my visit, new owner Evan Chambers said it was being used as an Airbnb. Even though this house was livable, it was up for demolition because the lot is getting redeveloped into multi-family housing.
Evan and his wife Caitlin were drawn to the home after she found it on Instagram.
“ It’s kind of like a house I grew up in that my parents bought in the late 60s,” Evan said. “ I have zero interest in rebuilding. I don’t want to live in a new house. I don’t want to pay somebody to build a new house. I don’t like new materials.”
They bought the home for only a dollar. However, in total, the Chambers expect to shell out around $550,000 for the move, which they’re funding with a mix of insurance payouts, savings and money from a GoFundMe campaign. The two plan to fix up the house as well.
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“ Something really scrappy like this feels like very Altadena to me, so I like that part,” Caitlin said.
The process should take nine to 12 months. Jaybush says that’s faster than the roughly three years he’s hearing it could take to rebuild.
Light at the end of a tunnel
The other home being relocated is also a two-story Craftsman from 1910 in Los Feliz on Saint George Street. This is the second time it’s been moved. In 1948, it was driven a few miles down the road to save it from those 101 Freeway demolitions. The owner held a party inside while it happened.
New owners Jacques Laramee and Gwen Sukeena are excited for this new chapter after losing their original Altadena home only a few months after purchasing it.
“ This has been a really overwhelming experience in a very good way,” Sukeena said. “We’re at least able to see a little bit of light at the end of a very dark tunnel.”
Jacques Laramee and Gwen Sukeena at their Saint George Street house on July 16, 2025. This building is likely to move to Altadena in the beginning of August.
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Gwen Sukeena says this home will be nearly double the size of the one that burned down.
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The couple decided to move forward with relocating for a few reasons, but the home’s vintage feel was a deciding factor.
“We’re standing in a 115-year-old home, so there’s lots of beautiful woodwork and character in this home,” Laramee said.
Similarly to the Taft house, it would’ve been torn down for redevelopment. The couple’s deal was more expensive — they purchased the materials for $75,000. It’ll likely be a year before they can move in due to renovations.
Sukeena isn’t sure yet what total costs may look like, but they’re expecting to pay a third less than what it would cost to buy a new home.
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