Wildfires hit L.A.’s housing-insecure residents hardest, USC Dornsife survey finds
Key findings:
Displacement and damage: Roughly 1 in 3 Angelenos facing housing instability before the wildfires experienced fire-related damage, displacement or utility shutoffs — compared to 1 in 4 with stable housing.
Health impacts: 58% of residents with unstable housing reported respiratory issues during and after the fires, 14 points higher than their housing-secure peers.
Delayed return: At time of survey, nearly a quarter of housing-insecure residents who were displaced had not yet returned home — compared to about 15% of those with stable housing.
Strong support for fire-safe rebuilding: 70% of Angelenos said homeowners in high-risk areas should be required to use fire-resistant materials when rebuilding.
A new survey by the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences reveals that Angelenos facing housing instability — those living with the threat of losing housing — before the fires were hit significantly harder than those with more secure living situations.
Approximately a third of Angelenos with unstable housing reported damage, displacement or utility shutoffs — compared to just a quarter with more secure housing. That’s one of the findings from the LABarometer Wildfire Survey, conducted by the USC Dornsife Center for Economic and Social Research (CESR) between Feb. 1 and March 30.
The survey provides the first countywide snapshot of how Angelenos were affected by the wildfires based on their housing stability and income before the fires.
“These fires did not affect residents equally,” said Kyla Thomas, a sociologist at CESR and director of LABarometer. “Those already facing housing challenges were hit harder and had fewer resources to recover.”
Wildfires burned deeper for the vulnerable
Residents with unstable housing were more than twice as likely to evacuate and were also more likely to rely on homeless shelters or emergency shelters.
Those who didn’t evacuate opened their doors to others: Nearly twice as many housing-insecure residents sheltered evacuees compared to those with secure housing.
Displacement lingered well after evacuees were allowed to return home. At time of survey, 22% of housing-insecure evacuees were still displaced, compared to 15% of those with stable housing. Most had moved in with friends or family — 70% of the housing-insecure and 60% overall.
Renters also showed signs of continued instability: Among evacuees who hadn’t lost their homes, 1 in 5 said they planned to move within the year — double the rate of those who hadn’t evacuated.
The fallout extended far beyond property damage. Nearly 60% of housing-insecure residents have reported respiratory issues since the wildfires began — 14 percentage points higher than their housing-secure peers. Among those who were displaced, psychological distress was twice as common among the housing-insecure.
Financial impacts also hit the most vulnerable the hardest. Nearly a quarter of housing-insecure Angelenos said they lost money or struggled financially because of the fires. A third reported losing work opportunities or having to stop working due to business closures — compared to 20% of those with stable housing.
After wildfires, residents favor smart rebuilding
Angelenos support tougher rebuilding standards in fire-prone areas.
- 70% said homeowners in high-risk areas should be required to use fire-resistant materials.
- 59% supported government-provided wildfire insurance for those areas.
- 43% backed extra relief funds for homeowners who had used fire-resistant materials.
There was less consensus on other policies. Just 30% supported waiving environmental or zoning regulations to speed up rebuilding. Roughly the same share favored government buyouts to turn burned areas into open space — an idea opposed by more than 40%. Only a third supported higher taxes for homeowners in fire-prone areas.
Even among those who favored rebuilding in wildfire zones, more than half opposed or were unsure about easing regulations or offering financial incentives to do so.
As wildfire seasons grow longer and more intense, Thomas says L.A. faces difficult decisions — especially if the county hopes to protect its most vulnerable residents.
“People want more resilient homes and better emergency preparation,” she said. “Housing stability is a part of this. We cannot build climate resilience in Los Angeles without confronting our housing crisis.”
The full, in-depth LABarometer Wildfire Survey Report is available online.
About the LABarometer Wildfire survey
LABarometer is a probability-based internet survey panel of about 2,000 Los Angeles County adults, designed and administered by the USC Dornsife Center for Economic and Social Research. It tracks participants over time to capture trends and shifts in their attitudes and circumstances.
The LABarometer Wildfire Survey included 1,360 Los Angeles County residents. Topics included physical and mental health, housing and work disruptions, financial losses, food insecurity, social support, preparedness, risk perception, and policy attitudes.