Announcing: Direct Cash for Altadena Fire Recovery

Dear friends, neighbors, and comrades - 

Here at ATU, we know firsthand that recovery has been slow, hard, and expensive. We also know that renters are frequently left out, left behind, or not even eligible for what help has been available. That’s why we’ve been working hard for many months to put together a project that begins to address that gap.

We are excited to announce the launch of Direct Cash for Altadena Fire Recovery, a first-in-the-nation post-disaster long-term direct cash assistance program to provide meaningful, sustained support to our neighbors. This project is led by by us here at ATU, our friends and comrades at the Altadena Community Land Trust, and our incredible partners at NCJWLA, with support from nearly a dozen other community partners.

We have heard consistently that the greatest and most pressing need for families navigating post-fire is, simply, money. The Direct Cash program will provide $36,000 of monthly, unrestricted cash funds directly to renter households for two years ($2000/month for the first six months, $1500/month for a year, and $1000/month for the final six months). We know that you are the best expert on what you need, so the cash is totally unrestricted. You can use it for anything you need. In addition to financial assistance, participants will have access to supportive services from our program partners with the goal of strengthening long-term recovery. This is an anti-displacement initiative aimed at helping Altadena renters be able to stay and/or return to Altadena after being displaced or impacted by the fire. 

To be eligible for the program, you are:

• A renter or tenant in Altadena on or before January 7, 2025, including informal tenants (a formal lease is not required, only proof of residency)

• Currently a resident in Los Angeles, Riverside, or San Bernardino Counties

• A head of household as the primary or only earner, caring for dependents of any age

• Have a combined household income less than or equal to HUD’s low-income threshold in your county (view HUD guidelines for your county here: Los Angeles County, Riverside County, San Bernardino County)

All eligible applicants will be entered into a selection pool, from which 30 households will be randomly selected to join the program. Selected participants will receive $36,000 over 24 months. As funding becomes available, we intend to expand the pool of recipients.

Please note: this program is our number one priority, and we’re working very hard to find more funding so that we can expand from 30 families to our goal of at least 300. At the same time, we want to be very transparent that as of today, the $1.5M we have assembled can only support 30 families. We’re working on it. 

Applications will open on May 11 and will remain open until May 25. There will be virtual and in-person information sessions, available in both English and Spanish. In-person sessions will be in Altadena (exact locations TBA) on Wednesday, May 4 at 7PM and Wednesday, May 20th at 7PM. We will also be holding office hours multiple times per week once the application opens. For eligibility requirements, more information, and a link to the application page, please visit our website.

Please stay tuned for more updates, info sessions, and more - you can also always email us directly if you have questions!

Hang in there -

ATU

PS If you are a community organization who supports or is connected to renters or tenants, please help us get the word out! We also have information sessions exclusively for community partners; email us to learn more, and thank you!