On August 31st, Altadena, a heavily affected area by the Eaton Canyon fire, received its first set of low-income “modular homes”. The land previously housed 14 apartments, which the owner sold after the disaster, aiming to construct apartments for low-income individuals. The 14 units, rebuilt by Beacon Housing, will be available for lease through a lottery in October.
Early on Monday, a large truck carrying modular homes of nearly 500 square feet (approximately 46 square meters) left Perris City in Riverside County and traveled 70 miles (about 113 kilometers) to East Pine Street in Altadena, Los Angeles County.
Candice Kim, the project manager of Altadena Rebuild Foundation, expressed, “Today, our ‘big baby’ has arrived, it is like moving hope.”
The construction of prefabricated modules is a crucial step in the entire process. Kim stated, “It enables us to build rental housing faster, allowing people to return home quickly.” She added, “If we rely on private developers, we fear individuals may struggle to afford the rent.”
The modular construction method is well-suited for building affordable housing, with lower costs and shorter construction periods. After being manufactured in a factory, the units are transported and installed on-site, saving on material transportation and labor costs, reducing material waste, and being less impacted by weather conditions. Beacon Housing aims to complete the installation of 12 units within one to two weeks, with the remaining 2 units to follow.
Altadena, an unincorporated area covering 8.48 square miles (21.97 square kilometers), attracted many in the 1940s and 1950s to purchase land and build homes in various styles. The Eaton Canyon fire in January 2025 destroyed over 9,000 buildings and damaged around 1,000 more.
According to the American Community Survey (ACS) by the U.S. Census Bureau, Altadena has approximately 15,815 housing units, with 63% owner-occupied and 37% rented. After the fire, about 72% of tenants still required rental housing. Some property owners, including those of multi-tenant apartment buildings, suffered severe losses in the fire. Despite receiving insurance compensation, they found it challenging to cover the reconstruction costs, leading to the sale of their land.
The delivered apartments are managed by the nonprofit developer, Beacon Housing, dedicated to low-income housing and transitional housing projects, including post-disaster reconstruction in the Altadena community. Next month, the new housing units will be leased through a lottery, with the developer creating a “Pine Notification List” for online registration.
The Altadena Builds Back Foundation raised nearly $6 million for this project, with contributions from the Pasadena Community Foundation and local philanthropist Molly Munger.
These reconstruction efforts also benefit from California’s State Density Bonus Law, which allows a total housing unit increase of 80% for projects that are 100% affordable housing. Most of the damaged homes in the fire were garden-style residences located in the northern foothills of Altadena, where the reconstruction density is regulated due to fire risks, land gradients, and ecological constraints.