Get the latest tech news

California's future depends on how leaders rebuild after the Los Angeles fires

The future of the state depends on how leaders rebuild after the Los Angeles fires.

But without major zoning changes to allow this kind of urban development, the crisis could instead accelerate displacement as middle and working-class families — especially those who inherited their homes in communities like Altadena and Pasadena — are forced out of uninsurable areas with nowhere affordable to go. While residents displaced by the fires may be allowed to live temporarily on their properties in recreational vehicles, tiny homes, and other modular structures, this stopgap solution does nothing to help the many Californians still struggling to become homeowners or pay their rent in the first place. “While many millennials were able to take advantage of record-low mortgage rates during the pandemic, young people are still facing a housing affordability crisis that doesn’t show many signs of improvement on the for-sale side,” said Daryl Fairweather, chief economist at Redfin.

Get the Android app