Chu lauds FEMA extension of housing assistance for Eaton Fire survivors
U.S. Rep. Judy Chu (D – Pasadena, San Gabriel Valley) yesterday commended the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) after it approved California’s request to extend financial assistance for survivors of the 2025 Los Angeles wildfires, including the Eaton Fire.
Under the approved extension, eligible homeowners can continue receiving assistance through July 9, 2027, and eligible renters through October 9, 2026. Chu worked with Governor Newsom and congressional colleagues to advocate for the extension as Altadena and Pasadena continue their long recovery.
“As Altadena and Pasadena continue to rebuild from the Eaton Fire, this critical extension will ensure that homeowners and renters have the financial and housing support they need during their recovery,” said Chu. “The continued need for today’s extension underscores the importance of delivering on Governor Newsom’s disaster supplemental funding request that will finally support our long-term recovery and provide the assistance necessary for survivors to rebuild and return home.”
As of June 12, FEMA reported that more than 35,000 households have received assistance through the Individuals and Households Program, with more than $177 million awarded to eligible survivors, and more than 1,200 households have received Continued Temporary Housing Assistance since the disaster.
Solis marks one year of immigration crackdown with economic impact report
Los Angeles County Board Chair and Supervisor Hilda L. Solis (D, East Los Angeles, El Monte, Baldwin Park, Azusa) this week marked one year since intensified federal immigration enforcement actions swept across Los Angeles County, reaffirming the county’s commitment to small businesses and workers impacted by the resulting economic disruption alongside newly released data quantifying the scale of the fallout.
Solis and Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn (D, San Pedro, Long Beach, Compton, Carson, Lakewood, Hawaiian Gardens, Cerritos) recently introduced a motion on June 17, 2025 – a year ago – to mobilize the county’s Department of Economic Opportunity with regional partners including the Department of Consumer and Business Affairs, the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation, and the Los Angeles Economic Equity Accelerator & Fellowship to assess the damage and connect affected communities to resources.
A report DEO produced with LAEDC, “Economic Impacts of Federal Immigration Enforcement in Los Angeles County,” found that undocumented workers contribute an estimated $253.9 billion in total economic output — 17 percent of the county’s entire Gross Domestic Product — while supporting more than 1.06 million jobs and generating $80.4 billion in labor income across construction, manufacturing, retail, and other industries.
“One year ago, I sounded the alarm about the harm these inhumane federal immigration raids were causing across our communities,” said Solis. “The past year has made clear that these cruel actions come at a real cost, not only to immigrant families, but also to workers, small businesses, local industries, and our regional economy. Immigrant workers and entrepreneurs are essential to the prosperity and vitality of our region. When people are afraid to go to work, take their children to school, or participate in daily life, the consequences extend far beyond individual households and ripple throughout entire communities.”
In direct response to the disruption, DEO launched the Small Business Resiliency Fund on September 29, 2025, providing up to $5,000 in direct relief to small businesses affected by curfews, reduced customer activity, property damage, and revenue loss resulting from enforcement activity.
The fund ultimately awarded $5.4 million to 1,327 businesses across the county, including 839 storefront businesses, 409 street vendors, and 79 independent contractors or home-based businesses.
Sherman says Trump “Stabs Homeless Veterans in the Back” by holding up housing bill
U.S. Rep. Brad Sherman (D, Sherman Oaks, Encino, Woodland Hills, Northridge, and the San Fernando Valley, including Malibu and Pacific Palisades) this week accused President Trump of sacrificing disabled homeless veterans for political leverage after Trump declined to sign the bipartisan 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act into law, despite the bill having passed Congress overwhelmingly the day before.
The legislation included Sherman’s own bill, the Housing Unhoused Disabled Veterans Act, which would amend HUD’s definition of annual income to exclude disability payments that veterans receive when determining eligibility for housing under the HUD-VASH Program.
“The stage was set both physically and metaphorically for the President to sign a historic housing bill for the American people and instead Trump wants to have veterans sleep in the streets just to control California’s elections,” said Sherman. “Trump must put his ego aside and put the American people first and sign this bill into law.”
The housing package was set to be signed at the Capitol yesterday and would have enacted one of the largest bipartisan expansions of affordable housing access in recent years.
Zbur condemns possible Erdoğan visit to Los Angeles
Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur (D, Hollywood, Santa Monica, Pacific Palisades, Malibu), Chair of the Assembly Democratic Caucus, issued a sharp statement yesterday opposing reports that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan may visit Los Angeles in connection with upcoming international events, warning that any ceremonial welcome would be an affront to the region’s Armenian American community.
Zbur invoked the historic memory carried by Armenian Diaspora families across Los Angeles, including in Little Armenia, and reaffirmed California’s formal recognition of the Armenian Genocide.
He argued that any visit allowing Erdoğan a political platform in Los Angeles would risk legitimizing genocide denial at a moment when the city is preparing to host major international events, including the FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Olympics.
“California’s position on this history is clear, codified, and non-negotiable,” said Zbur. “The systematic murder of 1.5 million Armenian men, women, and children by the Ottoman Empire beginning in 1915 was a genocide. That truth has been recognized by the State of California, the United States government, and historians around the world. Any attempt to minimize, deny, or obscure that reality is an affront to survivors, their descendants, and all who believe in human rights and historical accountability.”
Zbur said the concern extends to ongoing threats facing Armenian communities tied to Turkey’s regional conflicts, and urged local, state, and federal officials to decline any ceremonial welcomes or official meetings associated with the visit.
