For Capital & Main from Los Angeles—Wildfires can be especially devastating for low-income families, often leaving them with long, difficult paths to recovery. That has been true for single mother Dia James, 36, and her 12-year-old son Dichar, who are still struggling to rebuild their lives almost six years after their rental in Calabasas, California, burned down during the Woolsey Fire. The devastation of the fire was later compounded by the pandemic, which made it impossible for James to work, and to find a new rental unit in an already strained housing market.
Climate experts say the U.S. can expect more destructive fires across the Western U.S. in the future. Disaster experts stress that states should develop strategies to mitigate the impact of wildfires and other climate-related events on people like James and her son, who lacked the financial resources needed to recover after their home was destroyed. But that help may not be coming soon. A bill that would have established pilot programs in vulnerable communities aimed at expanding insurance options and mitigating climate risks was vetoed last year by Gov. Gavin Newsom, who cited the budget shortfall. James has instead relied on the state’s social safety net, which, after years of uncertainty, has finally provided her and Dichar with some semblance of stability.
One setback then led to another. She and Dichar, who is autistic, moved to a nearby condo owned by her former housemate’s family. Several months later, James’ mother passed away from a heart attack in the U.S. Virgin Islands. When she returned to Los Angeles some months later, she said her housemates told her that she and Dichar would have to leave because the condo was too small.
James was upset but didn’t argue. She moved an hour north to Palmdale, where she set up shop in a new hair salon. Then COVID-19 hit and, due to social distancing requirements, James lost her ability to work and bring in income to pay rent. James said she filled out forms, provided by the landlord, to enable her to access pandemic-era assistance for renters. But James said her Palmdale landlord turned off her power, and forced the pair to leave their unit in spite of eviction protections in place during the pandemic. The landlord told her their room was needed to host extended family from abroad. James and Dichar had no other option but to go to a shelter for unhoused families in Chatsworth in the San Fernando Valley.
That move was a turning point for James. At the shelter, she was able to enroll in the state’s anti-poverty program California Work Opportunities and Responsibility to Kids (CalWorks), which provided child care and mental health counseling. Last year the two moved into a government-subsidized one-bedroom apartment in Northridge.
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