Governor Newsom announces $101 million fund for LA wildfire recovery

Governor Gavin Newsom, alongside the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), has announced a $101 million funding initiative aimed at rebuilding affordable multifamily rental housing in Los Angeles. This move comes six months after wildfires devastated the region, leaving thousands of families displaced.

Governor Newsom stated, “Los Angeles has taken significant steps to rebuild after January’s fires, but the devastation is significant and there remains a long road ahead. Thousands of families – from Pacific Palisades to Altadena to Malibu – are still displaced and we owe it to them to help." He emphasized that the new funding would accelerate the development of affordable housing for those affected by the fires.

Tomiquia Moss, Secretary of the California Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency, noted that “The State’s special Multifamily Finance Super NOFA will galvanize the collective public-private response to the wildfires in Los Angeles County.” The initiative aims to expedite opportunities for building affordable housing for low-income residents.

The HCD's Multifamily Finance Super NOFA (MFSN) allows developers to apply for multiple funding programs with a single application. Earlier this year, $382 million was made available statewide for affordable housing development. The newly announced MFSN-LA Disaster provides an additional $101 million specifically targeting recovery efforts from this year's wildfires in Los Angeles County.

Gustavo Velasquez, Director of HCD, highlighted that their team had refined existing programs "to provide housing stability for fire-displaced families as quickly as possible.”

This MFSN-LA Disaster includes grants for infrastructure focused on disaster resilience and mitigation, low-interest loans for developing new units affordable to low-income households, and operating subsidy reserves ensuring long-term project feasibility. All projects must remain affordable for at least 55 years.

The announcement follows Governor Newsom's recent declaration regarding substantial completion of debris removal from over 10,000 fire-damaged parcels — marking rapid progress in major disaster cleanup efforts. Additionally, an executive order was signed to further remove barriers in rebuilding homes and schools.

Application materials for MFSN-LA Disaster will be available starting July 21, 2025. Interested applicants need to submit their documents by August 21, 2025.