Altadena Residents Fight To Keep Luxury Developers Out Of Fire-Ravaged California Community

'We're just afraid that we'll see a bunch of cookie cutters go up...'

Altadena residents, struggling to rebuild after the devastation of the Eaton Fire, are pushing back against luxury developers eager to stake their claims in the fire-ravaged California community.

In the month since the wildfire devastated over 9,400 homes and scorched 14,000 acres of the community, 14 properties have already been sold—at least seven of them grabbed by developers or investors, including several from abroad, NBC News reports. Housing experts and community members are concerned that the competitive market could displace longtime residents.

“We’re just afraid that we’ll see a bunch of cookie cutters go up, and we’ll get a bunch of people coming and going and coming and going, and we’ll lose the charm of Altadena,” said Darrell Carr, whose Altadena home burned in the fire.

The first vacant lot in the foothill community north of downtown Los Angeles sold for $550,000 in cash—$100,000 over the asking price—according to a list provided by Jasmin Shupper, founder and president of the nonprofit Greenline Housing Foundation. To prevent a potential luxury developer takeover, Greenline has started securing long-term temporary housing for displaced Altadena residents and negotiating to purchase their fire-damaged lots.

Greenline has effectively transformed into a “land bank,” a concept Pasadena-based lawyer Remy De La Peza describes as a strategy for quickly acquiring land to prevent its sale to private corporate entities. Land banks have been established in cities like Atlanta, St. Louis, and Cleveland to repurpose vacant urban lots for local nonprofits, community organizations, and affordable housing.

Earlier this month, Greenline acquired a property for $520,000 and is currently negotiating with several other sellers, according to Shupper. For families grieving the loss of their beloved neighborhood, deciding whether to rebuild remains a challenging and emotional decision.

Ali Pearl, a University of Southern California writing professor who lost her home in the Eaton Fire, is determined to remain in Altadena. However, her insurance payouts amounted to $600,000. Builders are estimating $1.2 million to rebuild.

“We bought that house with the intention of living there for the rest of our lives and passing that house down to our children,” she said.

Through her involvement with the community group Altagether, Pearl helps connect neighbors with resources and information about alternatives to selling their property to developers. She directs them to Greenline, aiming to match available land with community members who have been priced out of Altadena.

“I think about my neighbors’ kids who were born and raised on my street, and how they have not ever been able to afford to come back to the neighborhood, who talk about how great that would be to live in Altadena again,” Pearl said.