By Michelle Edgar, Contributing Writer
GLENDALE – Five Altadena homeowners whose homes were destroyed by the Eaton fire were informed they will receive modular homes at no cost, courtesy of a nonprofit led by Los Angeles developer Rick Caruso, he told a crowd at The Americana at Brand on Tuesday, Nov. 4.
“Yesterday was one of the greatest days of my life,” he told Adam Carolla during a live taping of The Adam Carolla Show. “We delivered five homes to families who had lost everything in the wildfires. I left there thinking, ‘Why isn’t the government doing more for these people? They have no options.’”
The initiative aims to fill that gap—providing what Caruso said are factory-built homes for wildfire survivors who can’t afford to rebuild or relocate. Backed by a $15 million pledge from Airbnb and Samara co-founder Joe Gebbia and early support from the Caruso Family Foundation, the effort falls under Steadfast LA’s “Rebuilding” pillar.
Samara will construct the homes funded through the new Steadfast LA Foundation, which is designed to fast-track wildfire recovery across Los Angeles County. Prefabricated units are built in six to eight months and installed in weeks, allowing families to return home swiftly while preserving community roots.
The homes are part of a partnership with Samara, a California-based housing company, supporting the recovery process in the Altadena area, where more than 9,000 homes were destroyed and 19 people were killed.
Each set of keys was for a family that had lost everything in the wildfires.
“When you help a family rebuild their home, you help rebuild their hope,” Caruso said.
Caruso’s announcement about the keys was part of a broader talk inside the AMC Theatre at The Americana at Brand — one of Caruso’s own developments.
Moderated by Carolla, the discussion spanned Los Angeles governance, his own political ambitions, infrastructure efficiency, vocational trades, housing affordability, Olympic readiness, and post-disaster recovery. But at its heart, Caruso touted a consistent theme:
“Government can’t do it alone,” Caruso said. “But when the public and private sectors come together with purpose and integrity, we can move mountains.”
He traced that conviction back to his family’s beginnings. His grandfather immigrated from Italy and worked as a gardener in Boyle Heights. His father went on to become a successful businessman.
Throughout the evening, Caruso – who ran unsuccessfully for mayor of Los Angeles in 2022 but still has ambitions of elected office – returned to what he called the “builder’s mentality” a mindset grounded in urgency, discipline, and common sense. “
We’ve got a city full of meetings but no progress,” he said, drawing laughter and applause. “We need leaders who roll up their sleeves.”
Carolla quipped that “common sense is an endangered species in Los Angeles.” Caruso said Steadfast LA is a model that proves public-private partnerships can work.
Carolla suggested that the state’s stalled bullet train project could serve as a symbol of inefficiency, a reminder of what happens when ambition isn’t matched by execution.
“We should be learning from what hasn’t worked — not burying it in another study,” Caruso said. “That’s how you build better the next time.”
When the conversation turned to whether he would run for office again, Caruso said: “I’m at a point very soon that I have to make a decision. “It’s a really tough decision. I want to come in and do good, and do the right thing, get it done, and go back to the private sector. I’m not looking for a career.
Within a few weeks or so, I’ll probably have a decision made, and it’s a big topic of discussion at the house with my wife and kids, who are incredibly supportive.”