Numerous media outlets covered the 15-month Department of Angels survey, quoting CCF President and CEO Miguel A. Santana. Major findings from the survey included that nearly half of wildfire survivors will soon, or already have, run out of temporary housing insurance before they can rebuild or move home, and homeowners are facing an average gap of more than $600,000 between insurance payouts and actual rebuilding costs. This is “a fragile moment for survivors,” Department of Angels co-founders Evan Spiegel and Miguel Santana wrote in the report. “As gaps in family budgets widen, confidence is wavering, raising important questions about who will recover and under what conditions.” Palisades News; CBS

Politico and other media quoted Miguel Santana about his leadership in advocating for ways to mend, not end, Measure ULA, the 2022 ballot measure that implemented an extra 4% tax on the sales of high-dollar real estate transactions to raise funds for affordable housing. Santana said research suggested that the measure, which CCF supported, has stymied housing development and that some reforms were needed. “I have a greater sense of responsibility to be honest about the unintended consequences and to use our ability to advocate for changes,” he said.

Miguel Santana was quoted by numerous media reflecting on a recent report highlighting a continued decline in quality of life across Los Angeles County. According to 11th annual Quality of Life Index, a project in partnership with CCF and UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs, satisfaction among Angelinos has fallen to its lowest point since the survey began in 2016. “The (index) captures both the hope and the challenges in Los Angeles,” Santana said. “Through our partnership with UCLA Luskin over the next decade, we can better understand the region — and what it takes to ensure a good life is within reach for all.” KTLA; CBS

Numerous media covered a story highlighting senior wildfire survivors who have received critical support, including direct cash assistance, thanks to a partnership between the California Community Foundation and Pasadena Village. “The Village has offered me unbelievable support. While most people needed computers and electronics, I needed saws and hand and power tools to rebuild my storage shed,” said grant recipient John Jackson, an 80-year-old Altadena resident, who lost his home of 50 years in the Eaton Fire. Pasadena Now; ColoradoBlvd.net; PasadenaMag.com 

Miguel Santana was quoted in a story about federal immigration enforcement and the humanitarian emergency in our immigrant communities. Through CCF’s Los Angeles Neighbors Support Fund, more than $3M has been made available to more than 3,500 families struggling to meet basic needs, and we are committed to collaborating with partners across California to support immigrant families in crisis. “During this time of unprecedented challenge, we must act with unprecedented solidarity,” said Santana. 

CCF was highlighted in a story about Chase bank opening its new Pacific Palisades branch more than a year after the 2025 wildfires destroyed the previous location. The story mentioned that JPMorganChase provided more than $2 million in emergency philanthropic support to CCF, American Red Cross and the United Way of Greater Los Angeles to aid immediate relief and recovery.

Coffee with a Cause and its expansion of its social enterprise model to Highland Park was featured.  A California Jobs First Catalyst grant distributed by the California Community Foundation supported the expansion.

A recent Big Heart Ranch event with the Malibu Boys and Girls Club was featured. The event was funded in part by CCF and supported wildfire volunteers and survivors. The story was also covered by Spectrum. 

A story featured the new “Am I Next?” and “I Belong Here” projection installation at the Los Angeles Music Center. “This is a call to action,” said Miguel Santana. “Am I Next? is more than a question. It is a declaration of courage, a stand for justice and a defense of our most sacred American values, because—until justice returns—none of us is free, none of us is safe.”

A sweeping Los Angeles Times investigation into the displacement patterns of wildfire survivors cited the Department of Angels—a nonprofit created in coordination with the California Community Foundation—whose quarterly surveys have tracked the ongoing housing instability facing tens of thousands of displaced residents, finding that 7 out of 10 people are still in temporary housing more than a year after the fires.