Fire survivors paying exorbitant rents fall deeper into debt, as LA County price-gouging law is extended

About 70% of the fire survivors in the Pacific Palisades and Altadena areas are unable to move back into their homes, leaving them paying high rents on temporary housing for more than a year, which has tapped out their savings and placed about half into serious debt.

A report released on Tuesday, Feb. 24, from Los Angeles County’s Department of Consumer and Business Affairs found 50% of fire survivors were more than $300,000 in debt. Also, 48% have depleted “a significant portion of their savings,” the report stated.