Surfacing top issues for rebuilding LA

People affected by the Eaton and Palisades fires shared what is most important to them. This will shape the community deliberations coming soon.

What we did

The agenda setting phase for this engagement began in March and lasted through May 16, 2025. Participants opted in and shared thoughts about recovery from the Los Angeles Wildfires. The information gathered will guide how public officials move forward.

What we learned will also guide the next phase of this engagement: deliberation.

The ideas and insights we have collected so far are invaluable.

What we heard

We asked participants to rate the importance of 10 disaster-related topics. Participants used a 5-point scale to let us know how important it is to discuss each item further. The table below shows the percentage of people who said a topic is “very important” or “essential.”

Select a topic to explore comments and see insights about the conversations.

Environmental recovery and clean up

87%

Wildfire prevention prioritization and accountability

86%

Climate and community resilience

85%

Infrastructure and utilities restoration

85%

Emergency planning and community safety

83%

Housing and rebuilding

82%

Financial and legal assistance

79%

Emergency communication

77%

Economic recovery and small business support

74%

Emotional and mental health support

50%

See more data insights

How we’re responding to community needs

Residents shared what they need most to recover and rebuild their communities. We found that some issues need more discussion. However, we also found issues we can act on now.

Below is a summary of how we are responding to what residents said they need most.

Stay tuned for updates on our progress.

Mental health support: creating shared community resource spaces

Residents said they needed community support and places to gather after the fire. This would help them cope with being displaced.

Beneath the surface: our communities depend on soil we can trust

Residents want soil testing to make sure they are safe from toxic chemicals after the fires. The federal government has declined comprehensive soil testing. While the state, community, and universities are proactively testing soil, confusion about who is responsible persists, absent federal coordination.

When minutes matter: reaching everyone in crisis

Residents want one emergency alert system that works for everyone. The various systems in use now don't work together well and don't reach all residents. People suggest working with local community groups to help evacuate areas during emergencies.

Bridging the gap: financial support that reaches everyone

Residents want direct financial assistance for all wildfire victims. They don’t think income or immigration status should affect eligibility. Right now, help mainly comes from FEMA, insurance companies, and nonprofits. There is no comprehensive state-funded grant program. An emergency assistance program funded by the state could fill in the gaps.

Renters in recovery: a place at the table

Residents seek special protections for renters. They want to prevent forced evictions or displacement and financial struggles. There are some protections against predatory investors However, support for renters’ specific needs is limited, and there may be a lack of awareness of state programs that do support their needs.

Reimagining insurance: coverage we can count on

Residents said insurance companies should offer adequate coverage in fire-prone areas. They said prices should be fair with simplified claims processes. Recent changes by the Insurance Commissioner have raised coverage limits and added discounts. Residents may need clearer information about these options.

Rebuilding pathways: simplifying the journey home

Residents want an easier permit process and less red tape for rebuilding. Executive orders have already streamlined rebuilding. But residents don’t seem to know about these changes or how to use them with their local governments.

Communities united: empowering neighbors against fire

Residents agree that they want fire prevention programs that teach and help communities. California has programs in place to address this. Residents may need more local resources, and education to use them well. There may also be a need for more funding to effectively implement the programs.

Building to endure: homes that withstand the flames

Residents want to rebuild with fire-resistant materials. Yet, they feel confused about how to start. They think both individual homes and whole communities need attention. Fire-resistant building rules are in place, but residents may need more support. The state could help them by offering education, incentives, and further assistance.

Up next: Discussing complex issues

While we are ready to take action on the priorities above, there is still work to do for some other issues. We will invite California residents to help us with this. Sign up to stay informed.

Residents shared ideas about complex community challenges that need deeper exploration. These issues don't have simple solutions. They may involve difficult trade-offs that communities need to work through together.

The next phase, deliberation, is where we will tackle these more complex topics. Deliberation will allow community members to:

Align and find the right direction to move ahead
Work through different opinions in a respectful way
Weigh the benefits and drawbacks of different proposals

Our ultimate goal is to create action plans that community members can support and feel a part of.

“Homeowners should be able to use natural gas. It's more reliable and affordable than all electric mandates.”

“All housing should be built with no gas. We are supposed to be all electric in Los Angeles by 2035...so why invest in repairing gas infrastructure that will be obsolete/stranded assets soon?”

Should we rebuild quickly, or rebuild in a way that ensures lasting resilience?

Some residents want fewer rules to speed up rebuilding.

“Don't go crazy on regulations that significantly increase costs to rebuild.”

Some view this as a chance to change.

“We cannot rebuild LA without putting measures in place to mitigate these natural disasters in the future.”

Some people think rebuilding is a bad idea.

“We should buy out homeowners in these areas and turn unsafe zones back into wilderness. If they want to stay, they should have to pay for the true cost.”

Read more about this issue

Should the public sector or private sector be responsible for utilities and infrastructure?

Some people believe that the government should own utilities.

“We could rethink home insurance entirely. Maybe it should not be managed by private companies, but by a (sic) government agencies.”

Others favor the private sector with better regulation.

“De-regulate, regarding insurance the insurance commissioner needs to meet with Ins companies, reinsurers, city/state/federal officials to propose a plan where residents are able to obtain proper coverage at a reasonable price and insurers/reinsurers are able to make a reasonable profit.”

There is also disagreement about who pays to restore and improve the infrastructure.

“Edison should be responsible for this. Residents of Altadena should not have to pay” versus “Bury power lines and prevent costs from being passed to consumer.”

Read more about this issue

Should fire prevention be an individual or collective responsibility?

Some people emphasize individual responsibility.

“Most of the defendable space requirements are already in the municipal code. How about actually enforcing existing code and fining people whose property are a fire hazard to the rest of us.”

Others stress the need for governmental and collective action.

“I strongly believe in shared responsibility. As much as people want to rebuild as quick as possible, it's everyone's responsibility to build back to prevent the next great disaster.”

Read more about this issue

Should recovery efforts allow making space for more residents to move into the area?

Some residents advocate for more density as communities rebuild.

“Build more multi-family dwellings, eliminate the restrictions on duplex and triplex in single family zoning, build more and build everywhere.”

Others are concerned about safety and wish to keep the density similar as before.

“Do NOT add housing density to this area. It is a high fire zone and cannot carry the density nor can the infrastructure.”

Read more about this issue

“Homeowners should be able to use natural gas. It's more reliable and affordable than all electric mandates.”

“All housing should be built with no gas. We are supposed to be all electric in Los Angeles by 2035...so why invest in repairing gas infrastructure that will be obsolete/stranded assets soon?”

How we did the analysis

For a deeper look, check out our detailed methodology and comments analysis.

We used the Claude 3.5 Sonnet generative AI model to help find themes and trends in the comments. We prompted the model with questions to help us understand what people thought. This was an efficient way to see how people agreed or disagreed on important topics.

We tested different ways to write the prompts. We focused on the answers that came up often, regardless of how we asked the questions.

Sample prompts

“I would like you to analyze a set of qualitative survey responses using extended thinking.”

“Start by doing an initial exploration of the data: First, read through the entire dataset without categorizing or labeling. Note your immediate observations and impressions about what stands out to you. Identify recurring words, phrases, and sentiments that appear across multiple responses. Share what surprised you or caught your attention in this initial review.”