Giving Compass' Take:
- Jocelyn Figueroa reports on how the wildfires have worsened the LA homelessness and housing crises due to rental price gouging and the need for vital supplies.
- What actions can donors take to provide long-term support to community members displaced by the LA wildfires and rental price gouging?
- Learn more about disaster relief and recovery and how you can help.
- Search our Guide to Good for nonprofits focused on disaster philanthropy.
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Leticia Espinoza had been renting a house in Altadena, California, with her husband, children, and grandchildren before the wildfires in January burned it to the ground. “We are getting by, day by day,” Espinoza, whose story was featured on the YouTube series “Channel 5 with Andrew Callaghan,” told Prism in an email, regarding her personal story about wildfires worsening the LA homelessness crisis. “We are currently staying at my sister’s house, and my daughter is staying with her mother-in-law with her two little boys. We have been blessed by our family and community, bringing us clothes, shoes, and donations.”
After burning for weeks, multiple forest fires in the Los Angeles area were fully contained, officials announced Jan. 31. The fires destroyed more than 16,000 structures and killed at least 29 people. As a result of the devastation, LA County is expecting thousands of newly displaced people in need of shelter and housing, showing how the wildfires worsened the LA homelessness crisis. This is a large task for a county with a growing homelessness crisis. Even before the fires, 75,000 LA residents were unhoused, according to the recent 2024 point-in-time homeless count. That number could skyrocket in the coming weeks.
According to a report by the LA County Department of Public Health, low-income households are already housing-burdened, meaning that residents spend at least 30% of their income on housing. More than a quarter of those households are severely burdened, spending 50% or more of their income to stay in their homes. Low-wage earners, specifically those who worked as gardeners, nannies, and care providers for burned-down households, are also out of a job. The sudden loss of income will quickly mean they cannot pay rent.
Wildfires Worsen LA Homelessness Crisis Due to Price Gouging
Tenant rights groups are also concerned about landlords seeking to push out existing renters. Many have reported landlords re-listing apartments at massively inflated prices, also known as price gouging. During a press conference on Jan. 16, California Attorney General Rob Bonta warned landlords against the practice.
“It is illegal. You cannot do it. It is a crime punishable by up to a year in jail and fines,” he said.
Read the full article about the LA wildfires and housing crisis by Jocelyn Figueroa at Prism Reports.