More homeowners affected by the Los Angeles fires will have access to state-funded mortgage assistance introduced earlier this year.
The CalAssist Mortgage Fund raised its household income threshold to $211,050, a $70,000 increase from the prior threshold, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced on Wednesday. The program was initially introduced in June as a way to help residents pay their mortgages after their homes were damaged or destroyed by qualifying disasters, including January's Eaton and Palisades fires.
“Disaster recovery isn’t some off-the-shelf formula — it’s community-driven and grounded in what actually works," Newsom said in a statement, noting that the expansion comes in response to requests from local leaders to include more residents in the program.
Eligible households can apply for free to receive three months of mortgage payments from the state, up to $20,000. Those payments are sent directly from the fund to the mortgage servicer and they do not have to be repaid. The funding is only available for single-family homes, condos or manufactured homes that were affected between Jan. 1, 2023 and Jan. 8, 2025.
To see the exact county-by-county income limits, click here.
Officials introduce legislation focused on fire recovery
Wednesday's announcement is just the latest step taken by state and local lawmakers to aid in the recovery from this year's wildfires.
In all, the Eaton and Palisades fires destroyed some 11,000 homes across 18 Los Angeles neighborhoods. Recovery is underway — with some homes already being reconstructed.
Over the last nearly 10 months, though, lawmakers have attempted to take steps to speed up and optimize the rebuild process as well as support survivors of the catastrophe.
Most recently, Newsom signed a package of bills, including provisions to bulk up insurance coverage and incentivize more resilient homes.