Los Angeles Wildfires Displace Thousands, Further Crippling Housing Crisis

More than a week ago, destructive wildfires tore through Los Angeles in a blaze of fire and reduced everything to ruin. It is estimated that an approximate count of 10,000 households were destroyed, leaving a huge number of families displaced. As this city struggles for restoration after the tragic fire, so too does its strained housing market go to work to restore balance in Los Angeles.

In such an environment, when demand for housing surges suddenly and the amount of property has drastically reduced, prices are most likely to continue climbing in the coming months and years – further feeding the current housing crisis.

Personal Stories of Loss and Resilience

There can never be any accounting for those who have lost homes to fire. For years, Martin Johnson and Caleigh Chapman worked to restore their home in Altadena; it took just a few hours for that dream to turn to ashes. "We spent many nights hand-sanding doors and window frames," said a shaking-voiced Chapman. "The floors took 18 months to finish. We were weeks away from making the house into a piece of art, and now it's gone."

Their story is just one of many, as the thousands of families are left to rebuild their lives and find a place they can call 'home.'