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EATON » PAliSADES FIRE STANDWG STRUCTURES
RECEIVED
2026 JUH 16 AM 9: 55
CITY CLI;RK
CITY OF DftcADENA
June 16,2026
To:
Pasadena Economic Development and Technology Committee
City of Pasadena
Re: Support for Expansion of the Eaton Fire Rebuild Permit Fee Waiver Program Dear Chair and Members of the Economic Development and Technology Committee, I am writing on behalf of Our Shared Recovery in strong support of staff's recommendation to expand the Eaton Fire Rebuild Permit Fee Waiver Program to include standing homes with documented smoke, ash, or water damage.
Over the past year, our organization has worked closely with wildfire survivors throughout Pasadena and the greater fire-affected community. As part of that effort, we collected survivor recovery data, documented ongoing displacement, and gathered firsthand information regarding smoke, ash, contamination, and heavy-metal impacts affecting standing homes. The results demonstrated that many residents remained displaced from homes that were still standing due to environmental contamination and the extensive remediation required to safely reoccupy their properties.
Survey responses collected by our organization indicated that many survivors of standing homes remained displaced due to contamination concerns and ongoing remediation needs, highlighting the significant recovery challenges that continue to exist more than a year after the Eaton Fire.
We shared these findings with Pasadena leadership and advocated for recognition of the unique challenges facing standing-home survivors. We appreciate the Committee's willingness to examine these issues and staff's thoughtful work in developing this proposal.
This recommendation represents an important acknowledgment that wildfire recover/ extends beyond homes that were completely destroyed and includes families working to restore standing homes to safe and habitable conditions.
The staff report thoughtfully recognizes a reality that many wildfire survivors have experienced firsthand: a home does not need to be destroyed to suffer significant fire- related damage. While many homes remained standing after the Eaton Fire, families have faced extensive remediation and repairs due to smoke infiltration, ash contamination, water damage, HVAC contamination, damaged insulation, and other fire-related impacts.
I appreciate the careful analysis presented in the report, including the review of permit activity, consideration of programs in neighboring jurisdictions, and reliance on findings from the California Department of Insurance Smoke Claims and Remediation Task Force. The report appropriately acknowledges that standing homes within the evacuation zones frequently sustained substantial damage and that many residents have incurred significant costs to restore their homes to safe and habitable conditions.
The proposed eligibility criteria strike a reasonable balance between accountability and accessibility. Requiring owner occupancy, location within the official evacuation zones, documented fire-related damage, and repairs limited to restoring pre-fire conditions help ensure that assistance is directed to those most affected by the disaster.
The proposed fee waivers and refunds represent meaningful support for homeowners who continue to navigate a lengthy recover/ process. Although these homes remained standing, many have required significant remediation and reconstruction of interior building components to address fire-related contamination and restore safe living conditions. These necessary repairs should be recognized as an important part of wildfire recovery.
I respectfully support staff's findings and recommendations and encourage the Committee to advance the proposed expansion of the Eaton Fire Rebuild Permit Fee Waiver Program to the City Council for approval.
Thank you for your leadership and for your continued commitment to supporting Pasadena residents as our community recovers from the Eaton Fire.
Sincerely,
Priscilla Hernandez
Our Shared Recovery
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