Naomi, a client of Door of Hope (left), receives support from her Eaton Fire Housing Assistance Program case manager.
More than two months after the devastating Eaton Fire, Pasadena Community Foundation is moving into Phase II of its Eaton Fire Relief & Recovery Fund grants. One of PCF’s specific priorities in this phase is assisting nonprofits secure temporary and mid-term housing for fire-impacted residents.
Door of Hope has received two grants totaling $275,000 from the Eaton Fire Fund to establish immediate and transitional housing for fire-impacted families. The organization’s housing efforts are focused on low- or very-low-income residents who have lost homes and have at least one child 17 years or younger. As Executive Director Megan Katerjian explained to us in her email, “for the most vulnerable families, this devastation is more than a loss of property—it’s the brink of homelessness.”
An organization uniquely positioned to address housing issues and related social services, in the aftermath of the Eaton Fire, Door of Hope created a brand new service, the Eaton Fire Housing Assistance Program (EFHAP), to help procure immediate housing and help families stabilize. Door of Hope used its first grant from PCF’s Eaton Fire Fund – $50,000 – to help rapidly rehouse 50 families. Door of Hope has assisted the families with move-in support, FEMA and insurance application assistance, and financial aid to bridge gaps not covered by other sources. Door of Hope also hired a Disaster Case Manager with the funding to help navigate this critical period and connect families to holistic community resources like therapy, healthcare, and job search assistance.
Saying ‘Yes’ to Displaced Families
In late February, Megan Katerjian reached out to PCF to share some good news: Thanks to an expanded partnership with the philanthropic organization The Change Reaction, Door of Hope was in the position to significantly expand its Eaton Fire Housing Assistance Program. PCF added another grant – this time $225,000 – to the mix, as did three additional foundations. With these newly raised funds, Door of Hope is now working toward providing approximately $12,000 in direct assistance to 150 families and secure even more housing options for them.
Katerjian recognizes that the wide outpouring of community support has allowed Door of Hope to extend its vital services: “Getting extra grant funding that is dedicated to fire relief helps us say the obvious ‘yes’ to those in need and allows us to do what we already do for more families, specifically those who have been displaced by the fire.”
