The following is a submission from Ben Allen.
Senator Ben Allen (D-Pacific Palisades) applauded the unveiling of a significant expansion to the CalAssist Mortgage Fund to provide more financial relief to more homeowners impacted by the LA Fires.
“The financial burdens of recovering and rebuilding in the wake of the 2025 LA Fires have left too many people in our community in limbo and unsure of their futures,” said Senator Allen. “Programs like the CalAssist Mortgage Fund can be an important source of relief to help these survivors chart out a more successful path forward.”
The CalAssist Mortgage Fund is a state program that helps homeowners who lost their property to a disaster cover their mortgage expense. The grants are paid directly to mortgage lenders and never have to be repaid by the homeowner.
Historically, the income-eligible program has been limited to cover 3 months of mortgage payments, up to $20,000. In January, less than $6 million of the $100 million available in the fund had been issued to a total of 741 homeowners, with the vast majority of funds being issued to survivors of the 2025 LA Fires. These numbers showcased a significant opportunity to expand the program to reach more survivors.
To meet this opportunity, the program will now cover 12 months of mortgage payments, up to $100,000. The income eligibility threshold for LA County residents also increased to $281,400 from $211,050.
“Displaced Angelenos do not have the luxury of patience right now,” added Allen. “We need to act urgently whenever we have money that can be immediately put to work in this fashion. This is a responsible and needed program expansion to move untapped, ready-to-go financial resources out the door for a hurting community.”
Funding is limited, so homeowners are encouraged to apply for relief as soon as they are ready.
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