Union Station Eaton Fire Housing Assistance Program

Wildfire relief

San Gabriel Valley

Applying a proven solution to a new issue or sector (using an existing model, tool, resource, strategy, etc. for a new purpose)

On the evening of January 7, 2025, the Eaton Fire devastated Altadena, a vibrant community with a rich history that many of Union Station’s programs, staff, volunteers, donors and program participants called home. Over 6,000 homes – including single family homes and multifamily dwellings – were lost, and tens of thousands of people remain displaced with many still living in motels and evacuations centers. Of note, according to a recent UCLA study, the fire resulted in a significant disruption to generational wealth and homeownership among Black households in Altadena. Black individuals and families are already overburdened financially and overrepresented in the Los Angeles County and San Gabriel Valley homeless populations. Many of those who have been displaced are at imminent risk of falling into long-term homelessness as they face significant barriers to securing housing on their own, but do not meet the criteria to receive current public homeless services and assistance.

Through our Eaton Fire Housing Assistance Program, Union Station is tackling the needs of households displaced by the fire who have nowhere to turn and remain living in temporary housing. We are committed to making this program as low barrier as possible, with the intention of serving households that are not currently eligible through the Los Angeles County homeless services system, but who face barriers to accessing housing without assistance, and are therefore at risk of falling into prolonged homelessness. The primary objective of this work is to ensure these households have the resources and support they need to secure permanent housing and thereby prevent them from falling into long-term homelessness.
Every household that requests assistance from Union Station completes an intake and assessment with a trained intake worker, who will review documents such as an applicant’s proof of residency, proof of income or financial hardship, lease agreement or other related documents. To ensure that assistance is prioritized for households that were directly impacted by the Eaton Fire, Union Station asks applicants for documentation that their residence, place of work or child’s daycare was destroyed or uninhabitable as a result of the Eaton Fire. We then assign a Care Coordinator to each enrolled household to ensure the participants receive supportive services and linkage to community resources to ensure long-term housing stability.

Union Station’s Eaton Fire Housing Assistance Program is designed to directly address the needs of households impacted by the fire who remain without permanent housing and without access to the support and services that can prevent them from becoming homeless. Union Station will help these residents regain housing permanency in their community. As a result, Union Station will help to quickly stabilize individuals and families displaced by the fire, helping them to rebuild their lives and strengthen their connections to the Los Angeles community.

Initially, Union Station pivoted services to address the most pressing needs of those impacted by the fire: we turned our Adult Center into a community hub for in-kind donations, and expanded our provision of hot meals, food, basic supplies and linkage to additional support for more than 3,000 community members. Today, we are shifting our focus to assist households who remain in temporary housing and help the County to recover.