Los Angeles communities are being hit by multiple crises at once. These are not separate challenges. They are overlapping crises affecting many of the same communities—and they require more than isolated responses. At the CCF, we are taking a holistic approach.
Pasadena Now reported on Altadena Land Initiatives’ Gap Rebuild Program, which provides zero-interest financing to help Eaton Fire survivors close funding gaps and rebuild their homes. The article cited the latest Department of Angels survivor survey and quoted CCF President and CEO Miguel A. Santana: “Two out of three survivors are still not home, and this is no longer about short-term disruption. This is actually prolonged displacement.”
Los Angeles Daily News reported on new measures approved by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to support businesses and communities affected by the Lineage warehouse fire in Boyle Heights. The article noted Lineage’s $2 million contribution to CCF, with funds distributed to more than 20 organizations providing air purifiers and protective equipment, medical and mental health services, housing assistance, small business support and direct cash assistance.
Los Angeles Business Journal reported on the opening of Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science’s new health professions education building in Willowbrook, funded in part by CCF and other philanthropic partners. Founded in response to demands for greater health care access following the 1965 Watts Uprising, CDU trains health care professionals committed to serving South Los Angeles and other communities that have historically lacked access to care.
CCF President and CEO Miguel A. Santana joined McKnight Foundation President Tonya Allen and MacArthur Foundation President John Palfrey to share lessons from Los Angeles, Minneapolis and Chicago on philanthropy’s role in protecting immigrant communities and democracy. The piece highlights CCF’s investments in immigrant and civil rights organizations, the Los Angeles Neighbors Support Fund and the “Am I Next?” installation as examples of how foundations can prepare for crises, trust communities and use their visibility to drive action.
Eighteen months ago, Los Angeles County experienced one of the most devastating disasters in our region’s history. In the aftermath of the fires, people from across California, across the nation and around the world came together with an overwhelming message: You are not alone.
LAist reported on LAUSD Education Foundation’s fund, supported by CCF, to help families of school-age children impacted by the massive Boyle Heights warehouse fire to apply for $250 cash assistance payments.
Pasadena Now published a story on a series of free Saturday night concerts at Alta Park, which was damaged in the Eaton Fire and reopened last year after a $3.4 million renovation. The seven-concert series organized by The Rotary Club of Altadena is sponsored by CCF and other partners, the publication reported.
The Real Deal reported on the latest efforts to address the unintended consequences of Measure ULA, which imposed a transfer tax on all high-value property sales in the City of Los Angeles to raise funds for affordable housing and homelessness prevention. But after research found a reduction in such real-estate sales and less revenue generated than anticipated after the measure took effect, the article reported, CCF President and CEO Miguel A. Santana led a coalition to “mend, not end” the measure.
CALÓ NEWS carried an article originally published by Capital & Main about Lineage Inc., owner of the Boyle Heights warehouse that caught fire on June 17, triggering the release of toxic smoke and shelter-in-place orders. The story noted the firm’s $2 million contribution to CCF for distribution to affected communities.
Grants will help support immediate community needs like food, masks, air purifiers, and other basic need essentials
The warehouse fire affecting Boyle Heights, East Los Angeles, and surrounding communities is a stark reminder that even as one crisis fades, another can quickly emerge. For more than a week, families have endured smoke-filled skies, school and business disruptions, lost wages, and serious concerns about the long-term health impacts of poor air quality.