Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin Wednesday, June 24, met with county and local leadership, who continued advocating for the federal government to increase its support for the Eaton fire rebuild effort.
Zeldin spent about an hour in Altadena touring construction sites and speaking with Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger and Altadena Town Council Chair Nic Arnzen.
His first stop was around 3:05 p.m. for a tour of a home under construction on Tonia Avenue. The site is part of a construction collaboration between the Foothill Catalog, Williams Rebuild and the Callahan Family Foundation.
Barger said she wanted Zeldin to see an example of outside-the-box thinking being applied to Altadena’s rebuild. She reiterated the ask from the county for about $8 billion in federal relief dollars for Altadena.
“I’m hoping today to talk to the administrator about next steps in getting that appropriated and letting our congressional leaders and the senate leaders from California make it happen,” Barger said. “We’ve done our part and now we need to work with Washington to make sure they get it done too.”
Zeldin and Barger shared an embrace when the administrator arrived. Zeldin described being heartened by the progress he’s witnessed in Altadena in his trips to the town and seeing how much construction is now up and running.
He described the relationship between EPA and Barger’s office as strong and separated the type of response his agency has provided since the fire between 2025 and 2026.
“We share the common goal of wanting to do everything in our power to help local residents,” Zeldin said.
In the immediate aftermath of the fire, he said, the EPA and other agencies like the Army Corps of Engineers and the Small Business Administration provided the traditional services the federal government offers in a disaster situation.
This year, Zeldin said, EPA is looking at non-traditional ways to support such constituent service like outreach to assist with building permits, insurance claims and advocating for mortgage forbearance.
“We’re constantly working on finding any way that that day we can help move the ball,” Zeldin said.
His second stop of the afternoon was to Arnzen’s property that was destroyed in the Eaton fire. Arnzen said while not confident, he’s optimistic that the federal government will come through with the needed funding.
“I would clearly like to see more,” Arnzen said of federal support. “I’d like to get the money that we’ve been expecting for so long, but I’m hopeful with the connections we’ve had and as time passes by even as we get more desperate we’re seeing more inroads of making it happen.”
Zeldin touted the recent announcement of the Federal Emergency Management Agency approving California’s request to extend financial assistance under the Individuals and Households Program for survivors until July 9, 2027 for homeowners and until Oct. 9, 2026 for renters.
According to FEMA, more than 35,000 households have received assistance through the program and $177 million awarded to fire survivors.
Federal officials cited ongoing challenges facing survivors, including unresolved insurance claims, underinsurance issues, housing shortages, contractor shortages and rebuilding delays.
“Recovery doesn’t end when the headlines fade,” Newsom said in a statement. “Thousands of Los Angeles families are still working to rebuild their homes and their lives, and this extension will help ensure survivors continue receiving the support they need during this critical phase of recovery.”
The governor’s office said California requested a 12-month extension for both homeowners and renters. FEMA approved the full extension for homeowners but granted a three-month extension for renters.
State officials said California has issued more than two dozen executive orders aimed at accelerating recovery efforts following the fires and has made more than $100 million available through the CalAssist Mortgage Fund to assist affected homeowners.
The Eaton Fire Collaborative, a coalition of community organizations supporting survivors, welcomed the extension and said recovery efforts remain ongoing.
“We are encouraged to share that FEMA has approved an extension of critical housing assistance for survivors of the Los Angeles fires following months of advocacy by survivors, community organizations, local leaders, state officials, and our federal partners,” the coalition said.
“While this is an important step forward, we know recovery is far from over,” the coalition added. “Many survivors continue to face significant barriers, and the Eaton Fire Collaborative remains committed to advocating for the resources and support our community needs throughout the long-term recovery process.”
Rep. Judy Chu, D-Pasadena, weighed in.
“The continued need for today’s extension underscores the importance of delivering on Governor Newsom’s disaster supplemental funding request that will finally support our long-term recovery and provide the assistance necessary for survivors to rebuild and return home,” Congressmember Judy Chu said in a statement.
Zeldin said he will be visiting the Palisades fire area Thursday, June 25.
City News Service contributed to this report.