Victims of the Eaton Fire joined a coalition of protestors in downtown Los Angeles on Inauguration Day, to demand full relief from the government for the thousands of displaced families and to protect Altadena from predatory real estate speculators and developers.
To date, tens of thousands lost their homes in the LA wildfires, with over 13,600 destroyed structures and 27 known deaths.
Wearing a bright orange shirt with the words, “Altadena is not for sale,” Shayna Reed spoke about her experience of being displaced by the Eaton Fire.
“My home was burned in the Eaton Fire, a preventable fire,” said Reed, whose family first moved to the area in the 1960s. “Altadena was such a beautiful community – and it was a diverse community, with predominantly Black and Latino multi-generational families, including my own.”
Reed is a member of the newly-formed LA Fire Survivors Committee, a group of residents from neighborhoods devastated by the recent wildfires and other concerned persons, who are calling for all forms of government to ensure that those who have been displaced can secure adequate compensation for their losses and are at the center of rebuilding efforts.
Many Altadena residents fear that their neighborhood will never be the same, and residents of the longtime diverse community will get pushed out, which may hasten gentrification in the area.
“I’m here to remind the government and private property investors that Altadena is not for sale,” said Reed.
She called on the government to prioritize the people and provide full recovery relief for those currently displaced.
“There are still residents in Altadena … living at the Pasadena Civic Center shelter, or they’re living in their cars. This is unacceptable,” said Reed. “There are thousands of empty rental units throughout Los Angeles. We need rent vouchers now for the people of Altadena. We also demand an immediate freeze on all mortgage and rent payments. Nobody should have to worry about their mortgage or their rent at a time when they’ve lost everything.”
With a list of demands, an online petition from the group is calling for local, state and federal governments to: “Provide free and suitable housing, immediate full compensation for fire victims, to cancel rents and mortgages for residents in evacuation zones, stop price gouging, stop the criminalization of Angelenos by focusing of the fires instead of looters, and resist disaster capitalism by putting people over profits.”
Another newly formed group calling itself, “The Altadena,” is also seeking to preserve the cultural legacy and unique character of Altadena, by uniting residents, utilizing collective bargaining and utilizing group purchasing power, with plans to establish a protection union.
Survivor of Hurricane Helene Speaks Out About Experience with FEMA
A survivor of Hurricane Helene, MJ Tucker from Asheville, North Carolina, traveled to LA to offer support and share her first-hand account dealing with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Standing next to Reed she told the crowd that the battle for federal relief assistance is just beginning for LA’s wildfire survivors.
Tucker, an organizer for the Helene Survivors Committee, said that although FEMA arrived quickly with aid, months later the federal agency threatened to stop providing housing support to the thousands of displaced people still in hotels.
“As of right now, we’re still fighting. We’re still demanding the assistance that they’ve promised us. That our government, our city elected officials, promised us,” said Tucker. “And so it was my hope that that y’all receive this help, but be prepared for it not to be there.”
Tucker said she stood in support of Altadena residents and the battle against business developments that don’t prioritize the people.
“From Asheville to Altadena, we demand full relief from FEMA,” Tucker and Reed chanted in unison.
For more information about LA Fire Survivors visit: lafiresurvivors.org.
For more information about Helene Survivors Committee visit: helenesurvivors.org.
“The Altadena” group is holding a meeting on Thursday, Jan. 23, at the First Methodist Church in Pasadena where discussion is expected on protecting Altadena homeowners from predatory solicitations and providing resources for legal support, financial guidance, housing resources, community advocacy and emotional and mental health support. For more information visit: thealtadena.com.