Robbie Sequeira, stateline.org
Almost a month later, the Eton and Palisade wildfires that destroyed California are contained. But another challenge lies ahead for Southern California and state agencies. It’s about helping people find a home.
Wildfires have imposed great, long-term damage, destroying thousands of homes, billions of damages, and exacerbating the state’s housing and homelessness crisis. Even before the fire, California already lacks 1.2 million affordable homes, and is facing a 500,000-unit deficit in Los Angeles County alone.
“We’re a great opportunity to learn about our lives,” said Ryan Finnigan, Associate Research Director at the Terner Housing Innovation Center at the University of California, Berkeley. “LA continues to need more affordable housing, and those evacuated from lost, affordable units may need the most support to be held in a stable manner again.”
Even evacuated from market rates and high-end homes, they are already facing challenges in tough markets, with thousands of people searching for homes at once.
Natural disasters have exacerbated the housing crisis in the United States, overturning the home insurance market, reducing housing options, particularly for low-income residents. And as disasters become more frequent and more severe, that trend will likely grow.
Climate change is the world’s fastest growing homeless driver, driving millions of people away each year. In 2022 alone, the disaster forced 32.6 million people worldwide, according to a 2023 report from the Internal Displacement Monitoring Center.
If the trend continues, disasters could potentially expel 1.2 billion people worldwide by 2050, according to the International Think Tank Institute for Economics and Peace.
The results have already been unfolded.
Hawaii’s homelessness has risen by 87% after the 2023 Maui wildfires. Experts predict that California’s homeless population will surge dramatically in 2025 as the Los Angeles fires destroy around six times more homes.
“Natural disasters cause massive spikes of homelessness,” said Jeremy Nay, a macroeconomic policy strategist who studies inequality in America. “The main goal of relief organizations like the Red Cross is to prevent people from being present forever, but for many, it can take more than a decade to recover.”
The long road to recovery
According to the Institute for Immigration Policy, 3.2 million US adults have been evacuated or evacuated due to the 2022 natural disaster, with over half a million people unable to return home by the end of the year.
Your recovery timeline can be tough. In North Carolina, state officials managing Hurricane Helen’s recovery have warned that major federal funds for home rebuilding could be delayed for months, according to NC Newsline.
In the event of a disaster, the federal emergency management agency known as FEMA focuses on providing short-term relief, emergency shelters, disaster unemployment assistance, and grants for reconstruction. But state agencies are tasked with long-term projects, including infrastructure repairs and housing initiative development, said Samantha Batco, senior fellow in the Urban Institute’s Housing and Community Division.
“While disaster relief programs like FEMA focus on short-term recovery, homeless response systems suffer from long-term systemic challenges,” Batko said. “People who live in unsheld places during disasters, such as corners of the street or cars, are exposed to ashes (from the fire) and debris, leading to health issues and visits to emergency rooms.”
At the time of Eaton Fire, Skid Row in Los Angeles is home to around 2,200 unsheltered people, and according to Batko, who co-authored a report on the Institute’s issues, it has revealed some of the worst air quality effects. I’m experiencing it.
The homeless crisis in Los Angeles was already dire. Last year, Los Angeles County had just 27,000 shelter beds for 75,000 residents. The fire has left thousands more homes in the house, leaving you even more nervous about the already overwhelming system.
“Related governments — state and federal agencies, LA counties, and their 88 cities — must be on the same page to implement an organized and effective response,” said Finigan, a Housing Innovation Center. It states.
There may be another twist.
When President Donald Trump visited western North Carolina last month, he raised the idea of eliminating FEMA and leaving disaster response to the state, reimbursing some costs with federal rebates. He later signed an executive order calling for a full evaluation of FEMA and recommendations for “improvement or structural change.” The state emergency manager immediately responded that FEMA involvement was required.
Insurance challenges
Disaster recovery is not equal. Insured homeowners usually recover the fastest as they usually cover a lot of the cost of reconstruction. However, as climate disasters intensify, the insurance market is beginning to be clarified. In 2023, insurers lost money in homeowner coverage in 18 states (more than a third of the country), according to a New York Times analysis.
It has led to an insurance crisis – higher premiums, reduced coverage, or insurers have pulled it out for good – started in California, Florida and Louisiana, but it has spread across the country.
Even before the fire this winter, these insurance issues would have been a legislative issue in California, and Alexandra, Director of Education and Marketing for the American Apartment Owners Association, an industry lobbying group. Alvarado predicted.
“There is a great deal of concern from property owners about whether they will insure or cover when another wildfire or similar event costs their home. “Not only in our state, but also in the radar of lawmakers. I think it’s on the radar, because we’re seeing this play in other states too.”
During the fire, California Insurance Secretary Ricardo Lara said that he was legally covering indigenous damage caused by recent wildfires, especially for wildfire survivors in Los Angeles County, as cold and damp weather poses a risk. It reminded the insurance company of its obligations.
Already, State Farm, California’s largest home insurance company, is asking the state to approve “emergency” rate hikes for fires, with an average increase of 22% for homeowners and 15 tenants I’m looking for %.
Barriers for low-income residents
The long-term recovery process is met with hurdles, especially in low-income and marginalized communities.
Low-income households are disproportionately vulnerable to climate disasters. They are also disproportionately hurt. Residents may live in elderly, high-risk homes that are susceptible to destruction. In some locations, low-income areas were built on low-lying flood plains, as the land was cheap or families of colours did not live elsewhere.
Katie Arlington, a disaster recovery expert in Boulder County, Colorado, said many households cannot afford homeowners or flood insurance, and strict eligibility standards could hinder the eligibility for disaster relief loans. I stated.
Renters, mobile homes and uninsured households often cannot afford a home that rivals a disaster-stricken home. Without a financial security net, many displaced people face an impossible choice. You can endure months or years of instability or leave the community forever.
“People with insurance are easier to recover than people who don’t have it. In general, homeowners recover more easily than tenants,” Arlington said. “From homeowners with fully insured to uninsured renters, each group faces a very different recovery timeline.”
One major barrier to tenants’ recovery is the post-disaster surge in housing costs. A Brookings facility report, published in October 2023, shows that effective rents typically rise 4% after a disaster and remained up for at least five years.
Over the past few weeks in Los Angeles, fire-affected areas such as Venice and Santa Monica have skyrocketed 60-100% within days, demanding strong enforcement of California’s anti-price gouging laws. Masu.
In January, California lawmakers allocated billions of dollars in funding for state and federal relief efforts and immediately suspended evictions. The governor’s office has also issued an executive order prohibiting Los Angeles area landlords from ousting tenants who provide shelter to Los Angeles area fire survivors.
Experience and luck
For many municipalities, past experience is the only real preparation for disaster recovery. And sometimes, a little luck can help.
In 2021, the Marshall Fire in Colorado forced the evacuation of 35,000 Boulder County residents and destroyed nearly 1,000 buildings. County officials say their response has benefited from both preparation and circumstances.
“Some of our successes have been through experience, but part of it has been luck. Arlington, Boulder County Disaster Response Manager, said: “If we’re at the heart of the world, If they had to rent or find fewer places, the response would have been slower.”
The states across the US are tackling similar challenges.
In North Carolina, state-led efforts such as the Back@Home program could rapidly rebuild around 100 displaced people after Hurricane Florence in 2018, with nearly 800 families becoming more permanent It helped me find a home. The program subsequently became a model for dealing with displacement of disaster fuels.
Similarly, after the tropical storm Helene last fall, Asheville, North Carolina allocated $1 million in rental assistance to prevent displacement. The Red Cross and state-run shelters were scheduled to close by November 10th, but the city coordinated with WNC rescue missions to keep one shelter open for the remaining displaced people long.
By December 31, 2024, all nine remaining shelter participants had secured their exit plans. According to city spokesman Kim Miller, there was nowhere to go.
Hawaii has also launched a massive relief initiative. In response to the 2023 Maui Fire, Homeaid Hawaii has worked with the state to develop a temporary housing solution for 1,500 evacuated residents for up to five years.
“Disaster-driven homelessness needs targeted programs that meet the needs of people at risk,” said Batko of Urban Institute. “The state needs to integrate housing policy into emergency preparations, otherwise it will be overwhelmed when the next disaster occurs.”
In Colorado, Boulder County was able to rebuild or begin construction in about two-thirds of the lost home.
Boulder County is aiming for an ambitious 90% recovery rate. This means that nine out of the 10 displaced people will find new homes in the area. But even its success has a glitter of mourning for what is lost.
“We’re proud because we started this recovery with the goal of bringing it closer to 90%,” Arlington said. “But we also recognize that some parts of our community have changed forever.”
©2025 States Newsroom. Go to stateline.org. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Original issue: February 10th, 2025, 12:55pm EST
