MISSION THANKS
Rebuild, Restore & Remain
One of our newest Mission Partners this year is the Greenline Housing Foundation. By contributing to their Eaton Fire Relief Fund we have had a big part in helping so many families affected by the fire. Here are some of the ways Greenline has been helping, as reported in a recently received email:
Temporary Housing & Rental Assistance: One of the biggest needs for those that lost their homes in the fire has been long term temporary housing and assistance paying for it so people can have stable housing while they plan their rebuild.
To date, Greenline has helped 26 families secure long term temporary housing and have awarded over $500,000 in rental assistance for an average of just over $20,000 per family.
Landbanking: One of the core values of our Eaton Fire response is to restore neighborhoods and keep the cultural and ethnic fabric of these communities intact and prevent displacement. There is a great deal of predatory purchasing activity happening in the community, with large developers and speculative investors exploiting this tragedy.
To date, Greenline has invested over $1 million back into Altadena through the purchase of properties to keep them out of the hands of those looking to capitalize from this disaster.
To that end, Greenline has an extensive list of folks that want Greenline to purchase their property. We have been actively seeking funds to acquire more of these properties and help preserve the community.
We are thrilled to announce that we have secured funding through The California Wellness Foundation and Clearinghouse Community Development Financial Institution to purchase an additional properties.
As a trusted partner in the community we have identified three end-uses of the land that ensure that the future use of this land is community-centered and community-informed.
Rebuilding: Now that we are five months removed from the Eaton Fire and have helped provide the stability of long term temporary housing and support for those that lost their homes, families are starting to focus on what’s next – rebuilding.
As people reconcile the rebuilding funds they already have, such as insurance payouts and FEMA assistance, with the actual costs of rebuilding, they are finding there is a significant gap in those funds.
Greenline wants to be the bridge that closes that gap. We are seeking to provide up to $250,000 per family for 50 families to help ensure they can rebuild and remain in their community. If you’re doing the math, that’s $12.5 million.
It’s an ambitious goal, no doubt, but we believe it can be done just like our long term temporary housing support and land-banking initiatives.
While we’ve received an outpouring of support from grant-making organizations, the reality is that as we enter this next phase, it will take all of us to make the impact that is necessary to help families actually rebuild, restore, and remain in Altadena.