The Eaton fire devastated Altadena’s hillsides, homes and hearts alike, and more than nine months later, rebuilding still feels painfully slow. I speak with survivors daily and one truth is clear: recovery isn’t stalled because of a lack of will, but because the system is strained under the weight of complex and unfair practices.

Successfully rebuilding Altadena rests on two essential pillars: money — the financial resources survivors need to rebuild — and an efficient, effective and accessible rebuilding ecosystem that allows them to move forward once ready. When either pillar weakens, recovery falters.

A recent study by UCLA’s Latino Policy & Politics Institute analyzed the first seven months after the fire and found that one in four homeowners remain stuck mid-application, unable to a

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