Rebuilding permits in Altadena have picked up, but construction lags and financial woes loom

More than half of Altadena homeowners who suffered severe damage in the Eaton fire have now taken steps toward recovery, primarily through filing rebuilding permits, according to new data from UCLA's Latino Policy & Politics Institute.

The research shows a significant shift from seven months after the wildfire, when approximately 70% of affected homeowners had neither listed their properties for sale nor begun the rebuilding process.

By the fire's first anniversary, that number dropped to fewer than half as more residents moved forward with recovery efforts.

Despite this progress, substantial challenges remain in the reconstruction process.

While 44% of homeowners have obtained fully approved rebuilding permits, only 30% have actually begun construction work.

The gap between permit approval and construction start highlights ongoing obstacles, particularly financing difficulties that are preventing many residents from moving forward with actual rebuilding.

Researchers emphasize that recovery remains uncertain for most fire survivors, even those who have initiated the permitting process.

Just under half of all affected homeowners still have not taken any steps toward recovery, underscoring the long-term nature of wildfire recovery in California communities and the complex financial and logistical barriers that property owners face when attempting to rebuild after catastrophic fire damage.