Helping Altadena residents navigate recovery, rebuild, preserve ownership, and return home.
Altadena CDC develops and coordinates programs addressing the practical challenges facing residents after the Eaton Fire. Our work combines recovery navigation, rebuilding support, homeowner preservation, anti-displacement strategies, housing partnerships, and community coordination.
Our programs include Altadena Ally, which helps residents navigate recovery resources and assistance programs; the Rebuild Altadena Pilot Project, which advances community-centered rebuilding and resident return; and partnerships that expand access to housing counseling, financial education, homeownership support, and other recovery services.
Every initiative supports a common goal: helping Altadena residents move through recovery with clearer information, stronger support, and a greater opportunity to return home and remain rooted.
Altadena CDC carries out its mission through direct recovery support, housing and rebuilding initiatives, resident resource navigation, community partnerships, anti-displacement strategies, and technology-supported tools designed to connect residents with available services and assistance.
Our work includes initiatives such as Altadena Ally and the Rebuild Altadena Pilot Project, as well as ongoing collaboration with public agencies, nonprofit organizations, community-based organizations, housing partners, service providers, and other stakeholders supporting Altadena's recovery.
These activities are designed to reduce barriers to recovery, expand access to trusted information and assistance, support homeowners and residents navigating rebuilding, and strengthen the long-term stability of the Altadena community.
Recovery should strengthen communities, not replace them. Current work: partnering with resident-serving organizations, sharing anti-displacement information, and connecting families to trusted recovery contacts.
Ownership creates stability, opportunity, and generational wealth. We support pathways that help residents better understand their options and preserve long-term ownership and legacy.
Recovery should create stronger futures than existed before disaster. We work alongside residents and partners to strengthen recovery infrastructure, align resources, and create pathways toward a stronger future.
Two connected parts of one recovery model.
Altadena Ally and the Rebuild Altadena Pilot Project form two connected parts of Altadena CDC's resident-centered recovery model. Altadena Ally helps residents find reviewed recovery information and understand possible next steps. Rebuild Altadena is primarily focused on acquiring suitable residential parcels and developing new homes, with a smaller component providing targeted rebuilding-readiness assistance to selected homeowners. Together, the programs are designed to improve access to recovery resources, expand pathways for resident return, address displacement pressure, and help Altadena families remain rooted in the community.
Altadena Ally — Recovery Navigation Platform
Recovery after a wildfire can require residents to navigate dozens of agencies, nonprofit programs, application systems, deadlines, and eligibility rules while also managing displacement, financial pressure, family needs, and the loss of home or work. Altadena Ally is being developed as one starting point for people impacted by the Eaton Fire who need clearer access to recovery information and possible next steps.
The platform is intended for homeowners, renters, displaced families, seniors, workers, small business owners, and other community members with different recovery needs. It organizes reviewed information across rebuilding, housing stabilization, financial assistance, disaster recovery, legal support, insurance, food assistance, workforce recovery, behavioral health, and related services. Residents will be able to explore potential resources based on specific questions rather than searching through disconnected systems on their own.
Altadena CDC has completed structured testing across ten common and high-priority resident scenarios and is continuing to refine the platform with Forward. Current work focuses on resource accuracy, natural-language routing, program catalog quality, privacy, feedback, accessibility, next-step guidance, partner integration, and a clear process for individualized navigation and follow-up. A controlled resident-facing release will occur only after approved readiness criteria, support processes, monitoring, and a documented go/no-go decision are in place.
Altadena Ally is designed to reduce confusion and make reviewed recovery information easier to find. It does not determine eligibility, guarantee funding or services, replace emergency response or professional advice, or make decisions for agencies, insurers, lenders, nonprofits, or other providers. Program information and availability can change and should be verified directly with the listed provider.
One starting point
Bring reviewed recovery information together across multiple areas of need.
Resident-centered navigation
Help people ask specific questions, identify potential resources, and understand possible next steps.
Broad resident audience
Support homeowners, renters, displaced families, seniors, workers, small businesses, and others impacted by the Eaton Fire.
Controlled rollout
Prioritize accuracy, privacy, accessibility, catalog quality, feedback, and human support before broader public release.
Rebuild Altadena Pilot Project
The Rebuild Altadena Pilot Project is a six-home demonstration initiative designed to support community-centered rebuilding and help wildfire-impacted households return to and remain in Altadena.
The pilot's primary focus is acquiring suitable residential parcels and developing new, resilient homes. Altadena CDC will coordinate property evaluation, due diligence, predevelopment, design and engineering, permitting, financing strategy, construction-method evaluation, and construction-readiness activities.
The pilot will compare potential building approaches based on cost, durability, permitting requirements, construction timelines, and site compatibility. Evaluation does not mean that a particular design, manufacturer, contractor, financing product, price, or delivery schedule has been selected or approved.
A smaller, complementary component will provide targeted rebuilding-readiness assistance to selected homeowners seeking to rebuild on their own fire-impacted properties. Assistance may include site assessment, pre-permitting support, technical coordination, financing-gap analysis, and rebuilding-pathway planning.
Through these efforts, Altadena CDC intends to develop a repeatable and cost-conscious rebuilding model that supports resident return, preserves community connections, addresses displacement pressures, and informs broader recovery efforts.
Parcel acquisition, homeowner participation, financing, permitting, construction, and occupancy remain subject to due diligence, available funding, program requirements, property-specific conditions, and applicable approvals. Participation does not guarantee property acquisition, financial assistance, financing, permit approval, housing placement, or a completed home.
Parcel acquisition and site control
Identify, evaluate, and pursue suitable residential parcels for the development of new homes.
New-home development
Coordinate predevelopment, design, engineering, permitting, financing, procurement, and construction-readiness activities for an initial six-home demonstration.
Resilient and cost-conscious construction
Evaluate practical construction methods based on site compatibility, cost, durability, permitting requirements, delivery time, and long-term performance.
Targeted homeowner assistance
Provide a smaller, complementary level of rebuilding-readiness support to selected homeowners rebuilding on their own fire-impacted properties.
Anti-displacement and resident return
Create pathways that help wildfire-impacted households return to Altadena, preserve community connections, and remain rooted.
Scalable rebuilding model
Use lessons from the pilot to create a more repeatable, accountable, and resident-centered rebuilding roadmap.
Altadena CDC uses public, philanthropic, and charitable funding to advance community-centered recovery and rebuilding in Altadena.
- Recovery navigation and resident services
- Housing and rebuilding initiatives
- Homeowner preservation and anti-displacement efforts
- Community outreach and partnerships
- Technology and resource-navigation tools, including Altadena Ally
- Property, planning, predevelopment, and implementation activities associated with the Rebuild Altadena Pilot Project
- Program administration, staffing, compliance, reporting, and operational infrastructure necessary to responsibly deliver and oversee these programs
Altadena CDC is committed to responsible stewardship, transparency, and ensuring that resources are used in furtherance of our nonprofit mission and the long-term recovery of Altadena residents.
Communities are more than structures.
They are stories, traditions, relationships, and shared identity. We are committed to helping preserve the culture and history that make Altadena home.