Barger, Sups Approve Expanding Homeownership for Wildfire Survivors
Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger (R-Palmdale, Lancaster, Santa Clarita, San Marino, Pasadena, La Cañada-Flintridge, portions of the San Gabriel Valley) this week saw the full Board of Supervisors approve her motion authorizing the County to accept nearly $5 million in state CalHome funds to help households impacted by the January 2025 wildfires achieve homeownership.
“We have an important window of opportunity to help renters become homeowners and build long-term stability for themselves and their families,” said Barger. “By securing these state resources, we’re creating pathways to upward mobility and investing in the future of our communities.”
The approved motion authorizes the Los Angeles County Development Authority (LACDA) to accept an award of $4,999,675 through the California Department of Housing and Community Development’s CalHome Program, established under Assembly Bill 434 and authored by former California Assemblymember Tom Daly.
Eligible households may receive down payment assistance of up to $200,000, or 40% of the purchase price–whichever is lower.
While CalHome is traditionally a first-time homebuyer program for lower-income households, its disaster provisions expand eligibility to moderate-income households earning up to 150% of the Area Median Income (AMI). For a family of four in Los Angeles County, that threshold is approximately $159,900 per year—meaningfully broader than the 120% AMI cap that applies to LACDA’s existing homebuyer assistance programs.
As next steps, LACDA will develop a comprehensive implementation plan to roll out the program, including eligibility criteria, outreach strategies, and coordination with local housing partners.
Muratsuchi Bill for Mandatory Kindergarten Passes Education Committee
Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi (D– South Bay including Torrance, Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach) yesterday saw his Assembly Bill 1631 requiring children to complete one year of kindergarten before enrolling in first grade pass the Assembly Education Committee.
The measure would be phased in over four years, beginning with the 2028–29 school year, effectively making kindergarten mandatory and ensuring children are well prepared to enter first grade.
Currently, kindergarten is not required for students in California. In California, kindergarten is considered a grade level, is factored in calculating average daily attendance (ADA), and is included in the academic content standards, curriculum frameworks, and instructional materials.
However, attendance in kindergarten is not mandatory, and compulsory education laws begin at age six, so parents must enroll their children in school once they reach the age of six. With parental input, it is a local decision whether a six-year-old student will be enrolled in kindergarten or be eligible for first grade.
“We know the achievement gap is present before children attend first grade. California is making substantial investments in pre-kindergarten programs, including transitional kindergarten (TK) and the California State Preschool Program (CSPP), providing opportunities for children to have two years of high-quality early education before entering first grade,” said Muratsuchi.
“To fully realize this goal, we must ensure that all children attend kindergarten to build the foundational skills and knowledge necessary to support their ongoing academic and social-emotional success,” he added.
Rivas Leads in Stopping ICE from Expanding Presence in Communities
U.S. Rep. Luz Rivas (D-Northeast San Fernando Valley, including Sylmar, Pacoima, Panorama City) this week led 12 of her colleagues in a letter urging the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government to eliminate funding for the General Service Administration’s (GSA) ability to lease or sell federal government property to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
The letter responds to a Wired article that listed the James C. Corman Federal Building in Van Nuys as one of several possible locations for ICE expansion nationwide.
“ICE and CBP are attempting to expand their chokehold with an increased physical presence across the country, including purchasing and operating more immigration detention facilities,” wrote the Members.
“This expansion through GSA will only cause more human suffering for our constituents and at a high cost to taxpayers. Currently, it is clear that ICE does not appropriately handle the detention facility system, from the poor conditions to unique circumstances for detainees, therefore it is not equipped to expand their operations even further.”
GSA is mandated by federal law to conduct procurement for the federal government, including ICE and CBP. In the Republicans’ One Big Ugly Bill, Republicans gave nearly $30 billion to ICE to conduct these procurements, raids, and more.
A full copy of the letter can be found here.
Pérez honors Joy Chen as Woman of the Year
State Sen. Sasha Renée Pérez (D-Pasadena, Altadena, Arcadia, Burbank, Claremont, Duarte, Glendale, La Cañada Flintridge, South Pasadena, Upland) this week named Joy Chen, Executive Director of the Eaton Fire Survivors Network (EFSN)as her 2026 Woman of the Year for Senate District 25.
“Joy is a force of nature who has worked with endless energy to advocate for the survivors of the Eaton Fire. Whether holding the insurance industry or utility companies accountable to meeting their obligations during fire recovery, Joy has led with strength, resolve and compassion. She is fighting every day to create an equitable recovery for all fire survivors and has been an invaluable partner in some of my most critical legislation to support Altadena’s healing. Our community is immeasurably better because of Joy and the Eaton Fire Survivors Network,” said Pérez.
“I’m deeply honored by this recognition and grateful to Senator Pérez for her fierce support for fire survivors. The work of EFSN exists because thousands of families refused to be invisible, and today more than 10,000 survivors and allies are standing together to demand a real path home,” said Chen.
The Woman of the Year event was founded in 1987 in celebration of the contributions made by remarkable women throughout California. Each Senate and Assembly District invites one recipient to the Capitol to be honored. The Woman of the Year ceremony is sponsored and organized by the California Legislative Women’s Caucus.
