LOS ANGELES (CNS) - Nearly one year after the Eaton Fire destroyed or contaminated thousands of homes in Altadena, fire survivors Tuesday urged Southern California Edison to provide housing aid to the many families facing homelessness.

Eight in 10 Eaton Fire families remain displaced with most running out of housing funds, according to research by the nonprofit Department of Angels. Fire survivors say without support from SoCal Edison, families cannot move forward in their recovery while fearing where they will sleep next month.

"We are not here in anger. We are here in love for our community," said Joy Chen, executive director of the Eaton Fire Survivors Network. "When a company's fire destroys or contaminates homes, that company has a responsibility to keep families housed until they can get back home."

A group of survivors led by Chen's group, the Eaton Fire Collaborative Leadership Council, the Clergy Community Coalition and the Altadena Town Council conducted a news conference Tuesday morning in Altadena asking the utility company to advance temporary housing support immediately while meeting obligations it already owes.

SoCal Edison has liquidity and state-backed protections, while displaced families are running out of options, according to coalition leaders.

"Every other California investor-owned utility advanced emergency housing relief after causing a wildfire, even without these protections," Chen said. "Through the Wildfire Fund, state-approved rate hikes, and nearly one billion dollars in back pay, Californians have absorbed Edison's wildfire risk. Edison is reporting sharply higher profits, while survivors -- who are also ratepayers -- are bearing the cost of this fire in real time."

Gabriela Ornelas, spokeswoman for SoCal Edison, told City News Service that the company is committed to helping the Altadena community recover.

"We understand people and businesses impacted by the Eaton Fire are eager to move forward. Our Wildfire Recovery Compensation Plan offers a way to help them do that," Ornelas said.

"The program provides fair resolution, fast payments and it can be used for interim housing. We do encourage people to submit a claim, reach out for any information, and they are also welcome to set up a meeting with our team to get their questions answered, if they have any," Ornelas added.

But fire survivors argue the program isn't enough and prevents impacted individuals and families from pursuing legal claims.

Two analyses conducted by survivor groups claimed that SoCal Edison's program is not designed to keep families housed or move recovery forward. The reviews concluded that the plan excludes renters, smoke-damaged households and other vulnerable families, relies on pre-fire assumptions that do not reflect a post-fire reality, and provides housing assistance far below current market rents.

"The plan requires families to permanently waive their legal rights in order to access housing assistance," Andrew Wessels, strategy director for Eaton Fire Survivors Network, said in a statement. "That is not a path to recovery."

Ornelas noted that the final version of the utility's program increased rental calculations by 17% for its monthly fair rental value -- the amount a home could reasonably be rented for each month, if someone else was living in it. If a property was damaged or destroyed, this number helps determine how much a claimant will be paid for the loss of use of the property.

SoCal Edison's program provides 42 months of housing support, covering individuals who lost their single-family homes. A settlement agreement is required to participate in the program. Once a claim is filed, the company could provide payment within 120 days.

Fire survivors say they are being priced out of their once affordable community. After the fire, which reduced local housing supply, families and other survivors faced rents that doubled or tripled.

Department of Angeles research showed that nearly a year after the fire, most survivors remain in temporary or unstable housing because they cannot afford post-fire rents. More than one in three families are expected to be forced to move again within months as remaining housing funds run out.

"When my rental burned, I lost everything, including $80,000 in plumbing tools and my entire livelihood," Gabriel Gonzalez, an Eaton Fire survivor and owner of American Pipe Dream Plumbing Company, said in a statement. "I've been living in my car since the fire. Keeping people housed while claims move forward is what makes recovery possible."

State Sen. Sasha Renee Perez, D-Pasadena, joined fire survivors for their announcement, backing their demand that housing relief should be separated from compensation.

"There should be no strings attached to providing much-needed emergency housing to Eaton Fire survivors who are still displaced and suffering trauma," Renee Perez said in a statement. "Emergency housing relief must be kept entirely separate from any settlement process. While SCE's program includes funds for temporary housing, it's limited and inadequate. Survivors should never be forced to choose between having a safe place to live and preserving their legal rights."

The Eaton Fire erupted on Jan. 7, 2025, driven by historically powerful winds. It killed 19 people and destroyed more than 9,000 buildings, including some 6,000 homes. While the exact cause of the fire has not been determined, SoCal Edison is facing several lawsuits, with plaintiffs alleging that the fire began in the foothills above Altadena, where the company's equipment is located.

Bill Handel