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Officials outline transitional sheltering, rental assistance and expedited permitting to get fire survivors back into homes
Summary
State, county and city officials described layered housing supports — FEMA transitional sheltering assistance, rental assistance, temporary on‑parcel housing permits, one‑stop permitting centers and executive orders to speed rebuild — while cautioning that many survivors still must provide insurance documents to access extended rental aid.
State and local officials at a California Assembly joint oversight hearing described a layered approach to housing recovery for Los Angeles wildfire survivors that combines federal programs, county ordinances and city executive orders to shorten the time between displacement and rebuilding.
"We have a variety of nonprofits and, for‑profit businesses that may have a philanthropic arm that provided, resources to a variety of, survivors," Kevin McGowan, director of the Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management, said. He described FEMA's Transitional Sheltering Assistance (TSA) and rental assistance and repeated county efforts to maximize temporary on‑parcel housing such as trailers and RVs under a county ordinance.
Nut graf: Officials said the most effective pathway for a displaced household is registration in FEMA's individual assistance program and in‑person visits to Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs) or virtual 2‑1‑1 services, where survivors can get help applying for TSA, rental assistance and SBA programs and receive guidance on permitting and temporary housing options.
Jenny Cho, deputy director of federal financial assistance at the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), explained HUD CDBG‑DR funds are typically “last in” and can take one to two years to be allocated and eight months more to plan and obtain HUD approval. HCD said it has adjusted internal timelines and provided immediate allocations including $6 million through a multifamily notice of funding availability and $66 million through a homeownership Super NOFA to impacted areas while awaiting dedicated CDBG‑DR awards.
City of Los Angeles deputy mayor Randall Winston described executive orders issued by Mayor Bass to speed permitting and support temporary schools and watershed protection. Winston said the city and county have opened permitting "one‑stop shop" sites co‑located with DRCs so survivors can meet face‑to‑face with permit staff and learn how to place temporary trailers and RVs once phase 1 and 2 debris removal are concluded on a parcel.
Officials emphasized documentation requirements and time limits for federal programs. A county speaker said that tens of thousands of FEMA registrants have not yet provided insurance settlements or denials, which delays rental assistance decisions; he urged eligible survivors to register and submit documentation to qualify for up to 18 months of continued rental assistance under recent FEMA rule changes.
Ending: Officials urged survivors to visit DRCs or virtual 2‑1‑1, register for FEMA individual assistance and SBA loans even if insured, and to ask about temporary housing permits and the permitting one‑stop sites to speed a safe return to property.
