The year after Katrina, 175,000 African American residents left New Orleans, Louisiana, of which roughly 75,000 would never return. The city became “younger, more affluent & whiter.” This fact is not lost on the African American community of Altadena after the devastating Eaton fires. A loud cry rose from the community to be strong, not to sell, and to rebuild. But precisely who were they asking to take on the herculean task of fighting the insurance company, navigating FEMA, the Small Business Administration, and the Army Corps of Engineers, all while finding temporary housing and purchasing the everyday, mundane items needed to reassemble a life? That segment of the African American community was usually older. A UCLA Center for Neighborhood Knowledge study indicates that 57% of Black homeowners in Altadena at the time of the Eaton fires were aged 65 and over.
Every homeowner who has lost a home and desires to rebuild should be able to do so in a perfect world, but this world is not perfect, nor is it fair. Is it reasonable to ask older residents, some of whom are in their late seventies and in their eighties, to take on this task? The truth of the matter is that Altadena’s Black population has been declining since its peak population growth in the 1980s. According to a UCLA Study, Altadena’s Black population reached its peak of roughly 43% in the 1980s and has declined to approximately 17% by 2020.
Altadena lost a significant amount of its Black residents within the last two decades, according to the UCLA study. There has been a slow and steady slipping away of the African American population since it reached its peak in the 1980s. What occurred in the last two decades that would cause a large number of people to leave? For years in the 1990s, rumors circulated about a gated community being built just below the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains, north of Lincoln Avenue, on the site of the La Vina Sanitarium. Some homeowners were delighted with the prospect of increased property value, while others were concerned about how Altadena would change. La Vina did what the established residents had both hoped for and feared. Property values increased, along with property taxes, rent, and home prices. A noticeable change was occurring in the communities of long-term residents - younger, more affluent non-Black people were moving in. Some of the older residents who stayed took advantage of the significant equity in their homes and took out second mortgages or reverse mortgages on their homes. This would make it almost impossible for them to rebuild after the fires.
The impact of gentrification, insurance status, employment status, and health issues are just some of the factors that will play a part in who will be able to rebuild and who will have to sell. Most long-term residents were underinsured because they had purchased their home decades ago at a value lower than the current market rate, and they had not considered updating the extended replacement cost percentage of their insurance policy. The median price of a home in the area before the fires was approximately $1.3 million. Current estimates for new construction in the area range from $550 to $750 per square foot. If one is retired and still carries a mortgage and is underinsured, the odds of being able to rebuild are low.
Suppose you are fortunate enough to have an independent source of funds or can qualify for a U.S. Small Business Administration loan. Who can be trusted with one’s dream and limited resources? This is a weight that homeowners carry daily as they deal with paying the bills, relationships, and health issues (their own or a family member). Some people who say they want to rebuild are so paralyzed with fear of making the wrong decision that they haven’t made any decisions. Others are tackling every obstacle their insurance company puts in front of them as if they are contestants on the show Squid Game.
The weight of who can be trusted is one that I have carried since the fires were extinguished. Weeks of filling out forms for FEMA assistance, SBA loan applications, and insurance claims left me feeling mentally fatigued. There were days that I cried because I had to fill out yet another form for the agency, for which I had already submitted an avalanche of documents. Submitting documents would entail taking a picture of them, emailing them to myself, then downloading them to upload them to one agency or another. Try doing that for your 2022 and 2023 tax returns or a 35-page document. The most straightforward task became too much to contemplate, let alone to do. Knowing that I had to make a dent in the paperwork, I assigned myself one or two tasks each day. I would get up in the morning, pray, make coffee, and complete the one or two things I vowed to do. On the weekends, I tried not to think about what I needed to do. Rebuilding my home became my new job Monday through Friday. Luckily, I was retired and could devote time to completing forms, vetting contractors, surveyors, and architects. But others aren’t so lucky.
Shortly after the fires, people were selling their burnt-out lots with the burnt and broken fragments of their lives still on the land. Whispered rumors would spread among the remaining neighbors that so-and-so had sold out. Currently, for-sale signs are staked on debris-cleared lots waiting for a lucrative offer that will take the owner away from the nightmare of January 7, 2025.
Will Black Altadena be 17% after the devastating fires? The answer is a resounding, “No.” The Black residents of Altadena knew that as the fires raged for days. Some knew that the battle for them was lost as they stood before the smoldering rubble of their homes. But others refuse to give up despite all the obstacles and even knowing that Altadena will never be the same. The size of the Black community in Altadena in the future is yet to be determined. But for sure it will be ALTADENA STRONG!
It is crucial that we share our stories during this time. Evelyn has welcomed readers to reach out directly. If you’d like to share your story about rebuilding or choosing a different path, you can reach her at 4theloveofbooks61@gmail.com. Every story helps our community feel seen and understood.
Disclaimer: The content shared in our blog is for informational purposes only and should not be considered legal, medical, or financial advice. Please consult with a qualified professional for guidance specific to your situation.
