Los Angeles County has launched the Right of Entry form for its free debris removal program, designed to assist residents affected by the Palisades fires.

Residents who wish to participate must complete the Right of Entry form, available for download or submission online at recovery.lacounty.gov/debris-removal. The form is also accessible at Disaster Recovery Centers, where in-person assistance is available daily from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. The local Disaster Recovery Center on the Westside is located at UCLA Research Park West at 10850 West Pico Boulevard. Those with questions or needing help filling out the form can call the Fire Debris Hotline at 844-347-3332.

Read More: https://smmirror.com/2025/01/la-county-free-debris-removal-program-for-fire-affected-residents-sign-up-ends-soon/

The 2 percent increase in the city's median rent was the highest since September 2023, when rents rose by 2.1 percent, the data provided by the popular rental website show.

The median price for an apartment in Santa Monica currently stands at $2,501, with one bedroom apartments going for a median rent of $2,367 and two bedrooms for $2,838.

Read More: https://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2025/January-2025/01_28_2025_Local_Rents_Jump_to_a_Fast_Start.html

The intensity of these fires exposed critical weaknesses in our emergency response systems. The standard home fire response—two trucks and fifteen firefighters—proved woefully inadequate against wind-driven blazes consuming entire blocks in a short time span. As three retired LAFD Captains noted, the extreme weather forecasts should have triggered advance strategic positioning of fire truck equipment and substantial personnel.

Read More: https://smmirror.com/2025/01/sm-a-r-t-column-peril-prevention-and-the-path-forward/

The motion directs the City Attorney, in collaboration with the Office of Finance, to draft an urgency ordinance that would exempt from the tax businesses completely destroyed by the wildfire, those that were non-operational for 60 or more consecutive days due to the fire, and sole proprietors like housekeepers, gardeners, and childcare providers who have suffered significant income loss due to client displacement.

Read More: https://smmirror.com/2025/01/city-council-approves-tax-relief-for-businesses-hit-by-palisades-fire/

Here, in no particular order, are five reasons Councilmembers Dan Hall, Ellis Raskin, Barry Snell and Natalya Zernitskaya handily defeated a pro-law enforcement slate that included two incumbents, giving the city's liberal establishment a 6 to 1 Council super-majority.

Read More: https://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2025/January-2025/01_21_2025_5_Reasons_SMRR_Swept_the_Council_Race.html

The order specifically targets lease violations related to providing shelter, while still allowing landlords to enforce other terms, such as those prohibiting criminal activity or property damage. Newsom described the measure as an interim solution while the legislature works on permanent protections.

Read More: https://smmirror.com/2025/01/governor-newsom-expands-tenant-protections-for-firestorm-survivors/

At its office at 2525 Main Street, the Chamber is hosting the US Small Business Administration (SBA) for free walk-in business, homeowners and renters counseling. Part of the SBA’s efforts to support the area, consultation hours will be 9am to 5pm, apart from Monday in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Any business owner, homeowner or renter can visit with an expert on how to apply for a SBA Disaster Relief loan, a low-interest loan aimed at recovery from the financial impact of the disaster. 

Read More: https://smdp.com/business/chamber-opens-office-to-sba-for-impacted-business-homeowners/

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is offering several options for survivors whose homes were damaged or destroyed by fires that began January 7. These include reimbursement for out-of-pocket hotel costs, rental assistance, and FEMA-paid temporary hotel stays through its Transitional Sheltering Assistance (TSA) program

Read More: https://smdp.com/news/fema-offering-disaster-relief-to-fire-victims/

Santa Monica has temporarily suspended enforcement of laws prohibiting short-term rentals and leases of less than one year when rented to households displaced by the regional fires to allow them to find temporary places to stay.

Read More: https://www.santamonica.gov/blog/santa-monica-emergency-order-short-term-rentals-allowed-price-gouging-prohibited-assistance-available-for-households-displaced-by-palisades-fire

While devastating emotionally and economically and one of the most significant disasters and crises Los Angeles has endured, the fires also present an opportunity for policymakers, planners, and residents to reevaluate and modernize water and electricity systems to meet current and future demands, especially those arising from planned development.

Read More: https://smmirror.com/2025/01/sm-a-r-t-column-a-new-path-ahead/