Rialto council approves $100,000 disaster relief fund after Vista View apartment fire

Mayor Joe Baca and the Rialto City Council voted to create a disaster relief fund for tenants displaced by a Nov. fire at the Vista View Apartments after residents and community groups urged immediate help.

Acting Fire Chief Chris Jensen told the council the blaze affected a two-story, 16-unit building that housed “approximately 75 people” and that the fire was contained about 2 hours and 54 minutes after crews arrived. Jensen credited coordinated response from Rialto Fire, Rialto Police, San Bernardino County Fire and neighboring cities, and said Red Cross set up an on-site reception center and later moved residents to Simpson Elementary School for shelter.

Residents and nonprofit advocates described urgent housing needs and urged the city to declare a local emergency so they could access additional resources. Anna Gonzales of the Center for Community Action and Environmental Justice asked the council to “please declare a state of emergency,” saying tenants had been given deposits back and told leases were terminated. Several affected residents told the council they were at immediate risk of homelessness as Red Cross on-site meal service was ending.

Property manager Peter Densmore of Canon Management said the company manages the property but does not own it, confirmed 16 units were affected and said, “by law, when there’s a unit that is no longer habitable, we are required by state law to refund the deposit and prorated rent.” Laura Green, the regional supervisor for the property manager, told the council most residents had been offered placements and that staff had reduced outstanding placements to three units as of that evening; several audience members disputed that timeline and asked staff to meet with residents after the meeting to reconcile outstanding needs.

Councilmembers and staff discussed whether a formal emergency declaration was needed and the limits of that step. City Attorney Eric Vale advised the council that the Brown Act allows adding an item subsequent to posting by a 4/5 vote when an urgent incident occurs after agenda publication. The council voted to add a new agenda item and then approved a motion to establish a disaster relief fund for Vista View residents. Mayor Pro Tem Ed Scott proposed an initial appropriation of $100,000 from the city’s general fund; the motion passed on a roll call vote.

Council directed staff to draft eligibility criteria, a claims process, and administrative protocols and to return with a detailed program at the next meeting. Staff and community groups said private donations and a city-hosted GoFundMe will be used alongside the fund. Community organizations present — including the Hispanic Coalition for Small Businesses and CCAJ — said they were providing interim hotel placements (in many cases funded through Dec. 5) and requested guidance on reimbursement or direct payment options.

The council’s action provides short-term financial authority for the fund and instructs staff to establish a claims process, coordinate with the property manager and nonprofit partners, and return with a formal program; the council did not declare a local emergency at that vote and did not set long-term funding beyond the initial appropriation.

The council moved on to other agenda items after agreeing to meet with residents and property management to resolve outstanding placement questions and to finalize the fund’s administrative details.