California: More than 1,000 LA firestorm survivors have accessed CalAssist Mortgage Relief
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May 12, 2026

More than 1,000 LA firestorm survivors have accessed CalAssist Mortgage Relief

What you need to know: More than 1,100 disaster survivors have signed up for Governor Newsom's recently expanded CalAssist mortgage relief — providing a full year of mortgage payments up to $100,000.

SACRAMENTO — Governor Gavin Newsom today announced that the state had reached a major milestone in its work to help LA recover, with more than 1,000 LA firestorm survivors receiving CalAssist grants. Since Governor Newsom expanded the CalAssist to provide up to $100,000 in mortgage payments over 12 months, the number of disaster survivors using the program — including those recovering from the 2025 LA firestorms — has increased to more than 1,100 people.

California is committed to ensuring disaster survivors can actually access relief directly. While Trump continues to turn his back on this community, we're building programs that meet people where they are and deliver real support when they need it most. I'm proud this expanded program has now helped more than 1,100 families by providing a full year of mortgage assistance that never has to be paid back.

Governor Gavin Newsom

The expansion responded to feedback and concerns from homeowners seeking to rebuild and adds to the Governor's work to help provide LA firestorm survivors with financial recovery. The Governor is continuing the state's efforts to support survivors as the Trump administration turns its back on them by withholding disaster aid.

One year of mortgage relief, up to $100K

Under the expanded program, eligible homeowners receive 12 months of mortgage payments, paid directly to their mortgage servicers. This is a fourfold increase of the program, which previously offered three months of relief. Assistance is available to homeowners who are current on their mortgage, in forbearance, or behind on payments. Families who previously received three months of assistance will be offered additional support, bringing total assistance to a full year.

In addition, the program now covers up to $100,000 in payments, up from $20,000. This helps families take full advantage of the 12-month expansion, offering families major financial relief when they need it most, allowing them to focus their own funds on basic needs, alternative housing, and rebuilding.

Since this expansion, 96% of homeowners who had already received three months of assistance took action to access the full 12 months of help.

Stories of hope

One such homeowner who benefited from the recent program expansions is Altadena public school teacher Ana Robles. She received three months of mortgage relief from the program and was ecstatic to hear she could access an additional nine months.

"I couldn't believe it, I was so excited," said Robles. "I immediately thought about my finances and how this assistance would relieve so much stress in my life. Now, I can focus on rebuilding in the community I have called home for 46 years."

The CalAssist Mortgage Fund, administered by the California Housing Finance Agency, launched in June 2025 to provide direct mortgage assistance to homeowners whose primary residence is destroyed or severely damaged by qualifying disasters. The program also made several other updates to ensure mortgage relief reaches as many survivors as possible. Most recently, the program increased income limits, which, in LA County is now $281,400 per year. With Governor Newsom also securing mortgage relief through forbearance plans, the CalAssist Mortgage Fund offers support regardless of whether homeowners are current on their mortgage, in forbearance, or behind on payments.

"This program is helping Californians overcome the loss of home and community caused by these devastating disasters," said Rebecca Franklin, Chief Deputy Director of the California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA). "For those survivors, the CalAssist Mortgage Fund is relieving families of the huge financial burdens of making mortgage payments on a home that has been destroyed or severely damaged, and allowing them to focus on recovery."

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To date, the CalAssist Mortgage Fund has awarded $39.4 million in mortgage relief to 1,155 households, with funds going directly to mortgage servicers on behalf of homeowners. Applications are processed in the order received.

Homeowners whose primary residence is destroyed or severely damaged between January 1, 2023, and January 8, 2025, may be eligible. Visit CalAssistMortgageFund.Org today to apply online for a grant covering up to one year of mortgage payments that never has to be repaid.

For more information, please contact the program's Contact Center at 1-800-501-0019 during the hours of 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday.

Accelerating recovery and protecting communities

Governor Newsom and his administration have worked hand in hand with survivors to help communities recover and rebuild stronger. The Governor has helped accelerate the rebuilding of communities by:
  • Fast-tracking permitting and rebuilding. Governor Newsom issued an executive order to streamline the rebuilding of homes and businesses — suspending permitting and review requirements under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the California Coastal Act. The Governor also issued an executive order further cutting red tape by reiterating that permitting requirements under the California Coastal Act are suspended for rebuilding efforts and directing the Coastal Commission not to issue guidance or take any action that interferes with or conflicts with the Governor's executive orders. Additionally, the Governor issued an executive order removing bureaucratic barriers, extending deadlines, and providing critical regulatory relief to help fire survivors rebuild, access essential services, and recover more quickly.
  • Providing tax and mortgage relief to those impacted by the fires. California postponed the individual tax filing deadline to October 15 for Los Angeles County taxpayers. Governor Newsom suspended penalties and interest on late property tax payments for a year, effectively extending the state property tax deadline. The Governor also worked with state– and federally-chartered banks that have committed to providing mortgage relief for survivors in certain zip codes, and later extended and expanded on that relief through legislation.
  • Suspending building codes. In addition to issuing multiple executive orders, Governor Newsom has also helped speed permitting and rebuilding by suspending implementation of new building codes for residents rebuilding from the fires to create certainty and avoid the need to modify applications and lengthen the permitting process. This includes allowing homeowners who built their homes to the standards in the 2019 Building Code to use their previously approved plans, and a suspension of building codes that would have gone into effect on January 1, 2026.
  • Safeguarding survivors from speculators and price gouging. Governor Newsom expanded restrictions to protect survivors from illegal price hikes on rent, hotel and motel costs, and building materials or construction. The Governor also issued an executive order to protect firestorm victims from predatory land speculators making aggressive and unsolicited cash offers to purchase their property.
  • Getting kids back in the classroom. Governor Newsom signed an executive order to quickly assist displaced students in the Los Angeles area and bolster schools affected by the firestorms.

Trump abandons LA fire survivors

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In addition to taking action to speed rebuilding, the Governor is also standing up for the Altadena, Palisades, and Malibu communities by advocating for long-term federal disaster funding for survivors of last year's catastrophic Los Angeles wildfires.

Governor Newsom has made multiple requests since February 2025, when President Trump promised he would "take care" of survivors. However, the federal government has yet to approve these funding requests and continues to delay delivering FEMA funding, which was already approved.

The federal government plays a critical role as a partner to the state in this long-term recovery effort. Funding in this supplemental appropriation would:
  • Fund the rebuilding of schools, childcare centers, homes, and vital community facilities.
  • Keep small businesses open, support the economy, and maintain jobs.
  • Restore damaged water systems, underground and harden critical infrastructure, and improve sidewalks, streets, and traffic safety.

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