In the Public Interest: The Altadena Rebuild Community Speaks

Altadena, California, suffered immense losses in the 2025 wildfires. More than 6,000 homes were lost, in addition to hundreds of businesses, companies, and commercial buildings. After the rubble was cleared away, the full scope, depth, and breadth of the losses were staggering. Whole streets were gone; schools and high-rise buildings left in ruins, and even the sidewalks, sewers, and water mains were destroyed. In a region where wildfires are fairly common, and many communities have suffered horrific losses in those flames, it’s become apparent that breathing life back into Altadena would require the largest rebuild and recovery effort to take place so far in the Southern California area.

In light of that challenge, on June 4th, 2026, the Economic and Workforce Division of Pasadena City College (PCC EWD) convened its first of three webinars to focus on which entities are actively involved in the reconstruction process and what they are learning from their respective perspectives. Representatives from these six public and private entities shared with attendees the process they’re following, the challenges they’re facing, and their prognosis on what needs to happen next.

As always, the panel participants at PCC’s Eighth Annual Future of Work Conference (now split into these three webinars) are deeply committed to their work and bring short-, mid-, and long-term views of the paths they are on. Their information is both inspiring and shocking: unforeseen realities are impeding progress; funding from all sources is drying up well before the work is complete, and the residents of the little City are struggling, not knowing if they will ever actually return ‘home’ again.

Dr. Gomez and his PCC colleagues are already on the front line of the fire recovery effort. During the conflgration, PCC was the central coordinating spot for fire responders. The Rose Bowl was used as a staging site for firefighters, and the school hosted a myriad of agencies providing food, medical services, and more. In January 2026, he oversaw the opening of the EWD’s new Construction Industries Lab, a campus-based construction and related trades training facility. He is actively looking for guidance on how PCC can continue to contribute.

Saraiya says his office is proud of the work they’ve completed so far, although there is still much more to do.  Of the 6,000 destroyed homes, only 1,500 are in the actual rebuilding process. At least half – 3,000 – haven’t even begun yet. Just one reason for the large disparity in progress is the lack of a workforce. The effort will require thousands more workers across all construction sectors to achieve full recovery. For that reason, Saraiya says, he’s on the panel to advocate for the development of a construction industry talent pipeline.

With a focus on the region’s most urgent problems, Humphries develops new tools, practices, and systems to alleviate LA’s complex housing, economic, and neighborhood issues. He is most alarmed at the rapidly dwindling financial resources available for these projects. Working with two private companies, Snap Inc. (SNAP – famous for developing Snapchat and Bitmoji) and the Department of Angels (DoA), Humphries is now focused on securing funds to bridge widening economic gaps. Many homeowners are still waiting for the Corps of Engineers to complete the infrastructure before they can begin building, assuming they can still afford it. According to Humphries, each home recovery will be $500K-$600K short, even after application of insurance proceeds.

In his role as CEO and as an expert in disaster recovery, Corey continues his earlier work in economic development, housing, land use, and legislation. In Altadena, his agency is working with homeowners to help them recover their most prized asset. He sees why the financial gap is large and widening: “Commercial and industrial infrastructure, and social and public services have yet to get started, which is delaying completion of residential builds.” The ARRC coordinates effective collaborations between public and private organizations and is concerned about how the whole community can recover when only a certain segment of assets (private homes) is the current construction focus.

Obviously, providing housing is the primary concern for this busy Habitat enterprise, which makes the Altadena project particularly painful. Too many people still need not just housing but shelter. Emergency, short-term, and long-term housing remains in high demand as resident-tenants wait for space to open up so they can return to the town they love. The lack of a workforce is especially challenging; Wong says his volunteers are already overworked, mostly because federal policies affecting migrants and immigrants are discouraging those potential workers. And even if a workforce were within reach, how to pay them for their work would remain a mystery.

On the panel, Sayegh represents homeowners and business owners who have lost everything and are seeking resources to recover their assets. One aim is to ensure community members have a say in how the community rises up. They are also invested in returning Altadena to its prior glory, as much as possible. That might be difficult, however, because the cost of a full recovery is in the Billions, not the Millions, and Sayegh says there don’t appear to be any deep pockets heading their way. Making matters worse, the Small Business Administration (SBA) is a potential contributor, as the agency that manages federal assistance dollars. Reported experiences with that entity so far, however, have been challenging, as those overseers are restrictive in their requirements and less than generous with their funding.

This stellar panel provided exceptional information and some surprising insights during the conversation, which is presented in the next edition of the Pulse.