A newly built affordable housing community is still standing after the devastating Eaton fire that swept through Altadena, California.
While neighboring buildings were lost, the Mirador development and its senior residents are safe after the blaze—one of several that ravaged the Los Angeles area in January.
The property team worked tirelessly through the night and early morning in early January to evacuate people from the four-story building. When the power went out, the elevator could no longer be used, so many of the older residents required assistance. The team checked each unit to ensure that everyone was safely out of the building, according to Jimmy Silverwood, president of Affirmed Housing, the property developer.
He credits employees at CONAM Management Corp., Union Station Homeless Services, and Affirmed Housing for their efforts.
After making sure the residents and staff were safe, the team waited for updates on the building. It was heartbreaking to think that the seniors, some who had previously been unhoused, could possibly lose their new homes along with everything they owned, Silverwood says.
Completed just a few months ago, Mirador sits just on the edge of blocks of buildings that burned to the ground. Fortunately, the new development was spared. A local seniors center that’s been an important resource for residents was among the buildings lost.
“So much passion goes into each of these properties,” says Silverwood, noting how architects have been sharing their sorrow at seeing their buildings destroyed. “You have this connection to these developments and projects.”
Affirmed Housing has voiced its commitment to support the community as it heals and rebuilds.
The Eaton fire killed 17 and destroyed nearly 9,500 structures. The Palisades fire killed 12 and destroyed nearly 7,000 structures.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development, under the Biden administration, implemented federal disaster assistance for areas affected by the wildfires, including providing a 90-day moratorium on foreclosures of mortgages insured by the Federal Housing Administration and a 90-day extension for Home Equity Conversion Mortgages. HUD is also providing flexibility to recipients of several community programs, including the Community Development Block Grant program, HOME, Continuum of Care, and the Housing Trust Fund.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation providing more than $2.5 billion in disaster relief. The state Department of Housing and Community Development will allocate $4 million to impacted local governments to provide additional planning review and building inspection resources to expedite rebuilding.
Both the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee (CTCAC) and the California Debt Limit Allocation Committee (CDLAC) announced that affordable housing developments in the affected areas could request certain deadline relief. For example, CDLAC projects may request an extension to the bond allocation issuance deadline. CTCAC developments can also seek certain deadline extensions.
