California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed legislation placing a three-year pause on certain high-density housing developments in Altadena, as residents rebuilding after the Eaton Fire warn that speculative construction could permanently alter the community.
Senate Bill 1090, sponsored by Senator Sasha Renée Pérez, was approved before the state’s midnight legislative deadline on Wednesday, September 30. It temporarily exempts Altadena from housing laws allowing urban lot splits and additional homes on some single-family plots.
The measure received near-unanimous backing in the California Assembly and Senate. Its supporters say the pause will give fire survivors time to rebuild their homes and consider the future of the neighbourhood without pressure from outside developers.
Altadena rebuilding faces pressure from development plans
Construction is under way in parts of Altadena, but many residents are still waiting for permits, insurance settlements or sufficient funding to begin rebuilding.
One proposed scheme, involving 10 homes on a single-family lot, has prompted fierce opposition. Shawna Dawson, an Altadena activist who lost her home in the Eaton Fire, campaigned for SB 1090 and said residents needed protection while they dealt with the aftermath of the disaster.
“We desperately need this to protect our community,” Ms Dawson said.
Supporters of the legislation have argued that California’s wider housing-density rules were not designed for a community recovering from a major wildfire. The bill’s backers say developers could otherwise acquire damaged properties and pursue larger projects before displaced homeowners have had a realistic opportunity to return.
SB 1090 specifically pauses the use of Senate Bills 9 and 1123 in Altadena. Those laws were introduced to increase housing supply, including by permitting certain lot divisions and additional residential units, but residents have raised concerns over infrastructure, evacuation routes and the character of the rebuilding area.
Los Angeles County officials and local leaders backed the measure. Similar protections have already been applied in parts of the Palisades and Malibu through an executive order, although those arrangements did not cover large parts of Altadena.
Ms Dawson said many homeowners remained unable to start work because of unresolved insurance disputes. She alleged that some insurers were failing to pay claims, a matter that has also prompted legal action by Los Angeles County.
Fire survivors face uncertainty over support funding
At the same time, survivors of the Eaton and Palisades fires are facing uncertainty over the future of the Disaster Case Management Programme, which helps households navigate insurance claims, federal assistance, financing and rebuilding.
Los Angeles County describes the programme as FEMA-funded and says case managers provide long-term recovery support, including help with appeals, insurance problems, contractors and repair plans.
However, September 30 marked the expected end of the programme’s current funding period. Bree Jensen, of the Eaton Fire Collaborative, said California had continued paying for the service while waiting for FEMA to release millions of dollars in previously promised funding.
Federal officials issued an announcement containing information about California disasters and provisions affecting disaster case management, but it did not refer directly to the Eaton Fire. That left organisations working with survivors unsure whether support would continue.
“We don’t really know what that means,” Ms Jensen said, adding that she would not regard the funding as secure until the money was confirmed.
With residents still negotiating insurance claims and trying to secure permits, she said the following day risked becoming a question of what happened next for fire victims who remained in need of assistance.
