An already serious Southern California housing shortage has become dire after the Los Angeles wildfires ravaged the area and destroyed more than 12,000 structures.
Aurielle Hall, a single mother to her 12-year-old daughter Jade, lost her Altadena duplex in the Eaton Fire. They are currently in short-term housing provided by a not-for-profit, but Hall worries she won’t be able to afford new housing on her current income.
Her duplex was about $1,000 below market rent.
L.A. is one of the least affordable major cities in the world, found a report last year. Even before the fires, L.A. needed to build 450,000 affordable housing units by 2029 just to meet demand, according to numbers from L.A. County. On average a new apartment building takes four years to build.