{"id":2137,"date":"2025-11-19T14:43:09","date_gmt":"2025-11-19T19:43:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.brickellsold.com\/blog\/l-a-mayor-calls-for-3-year-mortgage-relief-extension-for-wildfire-survivors\/"},"modified":"2026-04-13T10:30:33","modified_gmt":"2026-04-13T14:30:33","slug":"l-a-mayor-calls-for-3-year-mortgage-relief-extension-for-wildfire-survivors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.brickellsold.com\/blog\/l-a-mayor-calls-for-3-year-mortgage-relief-extension-for-wildfire-survivors\/","title":{"rendered":"LA Mayor Calls for 4-Year Mortgage Relief Extension for Wildfire Survivors: A Lifeline for Families Rebuilding: Mistakes to Avoid"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_81 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title ez-toc-toggle\" style=\"cursor:pointer\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.brickellsold.com\/blog\/l-a-mayor-calls-for-3-year-mortgage-relief-extension-for-wildfire-survivors\/#A_Lifeline_for_Families_Rebuilding_LA_Mayors_Plan_for_Extended_Mortgage_Relief\" >A Lifeline for Families Rebuilding: LA Mayor&#039;s Plan for Extended Mortgage Relief<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.brickellsold.com\/blog\/l-a-mayor-calls-for-3-year-mortgage-relief-extension-for-wildfire-survivors\/#Current_relief_efforts\" >Current relief efforts<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.brickellsold.com\/blog\/l-a-mayor-calls-for-3-year-mortgage-relief-extension-for-wildfire-survivors\/#Many_survivors_still_displaced\" >Many survivors still displaced<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.brickellsold.com\/blog\/l-a-mayor-calls-for-3-year-mortgage-relief-extension-for-wildfire-survivors\/#Next_steps\" >Next steps<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.brickellsold.com\/blog\/l-a-mayor-calls-for-3-year-mortgage-relief-extension-for-wildfire-survivors\/#External_Resources\" >External Resources<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.brickellsold.com\/blog\/l-a-mayor-calls-for-3-year-mortgage-relief-extension-for-wildfire-survivors\/#FAQ_LA_Mayor_Calls_for\" >FAQ: LA Mayor Calls for<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.brickellsold.com\/blog\/l-a-mayor-calls-for-3-year-mortgage-relief-extension-for-wildfire-survivors\/#What_should_be_planned_first\" >What should be planned first?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_Lifeline_for_Families_Rebuilding_LA_Mayors_Plan_for_Extended_Mortgage_Relief\"><\/span>A Lifeline for Families Rebuilding: LA Mayor&#039;s Plan for Extended Mortgage Relief<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is calling for an extension of mortgage relief for wildfire survivors, offering four years of breathing room as they rebuild their lives.<\/p>\n<p><strong>LA Mayor Calls for<\/strong> helps improve planning, consistency, and publishing quality when teams follow a repeatable workflow.<\/p>\n<p>Following the fires, mortgage delinquencies surged from about 700 to over 4,100 in one month. Bass is now requesting an additional three years of relief past the one-year requirement in state law.<\/p>\n<p>While homeowners are currently benefiting from limited mortgage forbearance as they recover, that support will expire for the majority of families in the near future. With Bass\u2019 plan, they would have four years of mortgage relief in total.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Mortgage forbearance creates temporary breathing room,&#8221; CPA and attorney <strong>Chad D. Cummings<\/strong> of Cummings &amp; Cummings Law tells Realtor.com\u00ae.<\/p>\n<p>But it&#8217;s not &#8220;free money.&#8221; <\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I describe mortgage forbearance as a legally sanctioned delay of required monthly payments, not a forgiveness of principal or interest,&#8221; says Cummings.<\/p>\n<p>The years of loan relief would be added to the back of a homeowner\u2019s current mortgage, under Bass&#8217; proposal. During the three-year reprieve, homeowners wouldn&#8217;t be charged any additional fees or penalties, and this relief wouldn&#8217;t negatively impact their credit.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;With rebuilding underway across the Palisades and Los Angeles County, many impacted residents remain in temporary housing and face mounting financial strain,&#8221; said Bass in a Tuesday press release. <\/p>\n<p>&#8220;These families are already carrying more than anyone should have to. They&#8217;re piecing life together while having to negotiate with contractors and wait for insurance claims to come through. Asking them to shoulder mortgage payments on top of all that would force them into an impossible\u2014and unacceptable\u2014choice.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Many local real estate agents are in favor of the mayor&#8217;s proposal.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Given all the red tape and difficulty wildfire victims have had trying to rebuild, I think extending mortgage relief for the next three years is a must,&#8221; <strong>Cara Ameer<\/strong>, a real estate agent with Coldwell Banker in\u00a0California, tells Realtor.com. <\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Many people have been caught in a tangled web with insurance companies who have been resistant to do the right thing all while still paying on a home that is no longer there or they can\u2019t occupy.\u00a0 Having additional time will allow people to get all sorted out and hopefully receive compensation they were entitled to.&#8221;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A July 2025 aerial view of properties cleared of wildfire debris which burned in the Eaton Fire   in Altadena, CA.  <span class=\"image-credit\">(Photo by Mario Tama\/Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-current-relief-efforts\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Current_relief_efforts\"><\/span>Current relief efforts<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Under California&#8217;s Assembly Bill 238, dubbed the Mortgage Forbearance Act, homeowners whose properties were destroyed or rendered uninhabitable by the fires are allowed to pause mortgage payments without late fees, penalties or risk of foreclosure for up to one year.<\/p>\n<p>Bass stressed that extended assistance is crucial for long-term recovery.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;AB 238 is an important start, but one year simply isn\u2019t enough,&#8221; Bass stated. &#8220;Families need more time to truly rebuild. We are urging our banking partners to join us in delivering meaningful relief at this critical moment.\u201d&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-many-survivors-still-displaced\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Many_survivors_still_displaced\"><\/span>Many survivors still displaced<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>A survey conducted in September by the&nbsp;Department of Angels, a fire recovery organization, found that 9 out of 10 Pacific Palisades residents and 8 in 10 Altadena residents have remained displaced.<\/p>\n<p>The group, which surveyed more than 2,300 people affected by the fires, also found that 75% of people in the Palisades and 67% in Altadena were living in temporary housing.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAccuWeather experts preliminarily estimate total damage and economic loss between $250 billion to $275 billion, which is as staggering as it is sobering due to one of the most destructive fires in modern U.S. history,\u201d AccuWeather chief meteorologist <strong>Jonathan Porter <\/strong>tells Realtor.com.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-next-steps\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Next_steps\"><\/span>Next steps<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Bass says she has already begun having preliminary discussions with the banking industry and vows to continue working to secure mortgage relief for wildlife survivors.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I am encouraged that our partners in banking and business will recognize that this is the fair and compassionate solution our community needs,&#8221; said Bass. &#8220;We&#8217;ve seen extended relief work in the past\u2014and we know it can work here.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Merie Yousef,<\/strong> who led real-time wildfire response mobilization across 40+ FirstTeam real estate offices in California, agrees.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Extending mortgage forbearance would provide the breathing room families need to make long-term decisions rather than crisis-driven ones, preventing foreclosures, stabilizing neighborhoods, and giving communities space to rebuild with dignity,&#8221; she tells Realtor.com. <\/p>\n<p>&#8220;If California is serious about climate-driven disaster recovery, extended mortgage relief must become part of our core response toolkit.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Mortgage forbearance creates temporary breathing room, but it&#8217;s not &#8216;free money.&#8217; Homeowners would still be responsible for paying interest and principal, with the relief added to the back of their current mortgage.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"External_Resources\"><\/span>External Resources<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/developers.google.com\/search\/docs\/essentials\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Google Search Essentials<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/developer.wordpress.org\/plugins\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">WordPress Plugin Handbook<\/a> are useful references for best practices.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"FAQ_LA_Mayor_Calls_for\"><\/span>FAQ: LA Mayor Calls for<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_should_be_planned_first\"><\/span>What should be planned first?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Start with the goal, audience, and deliverables so the final content and media support the same outcome.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Need help implementing this workflow?<\/strong> Contact Miami Real Estate Insights &amp; Market Trends to plan a practical content and media process.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Mistakes to Avoid: A Lifeline for Families Rebuilding: LA Mayor&#039;s Plan for Extended Mortgage Relief Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is calling for an exten&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2138,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_title":"7 Proven LA Mayor Calls for Mistakes to Avoid","rank_math_description":"A Lifeline for Families Rebuilding: LA Mayor&#039;s Plan for Extended Mortgage Relief Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is calling for an extension of mortgage","rank_math_focus_keyword":"LA Mayor Calls for","rank_math_canonical_url":"https:\/\/www.brickellsold.com\/blog\/l-a-mayor-calls-for-3-year-mortgage-relief-extension-for-wildfire-survivors\/","rank_math_robots":"index,follow","footnotes":""},"categories":[1720],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2137","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-brickell-real-estate-market"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brickellsold.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2137","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brickellsold.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brickellsold.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brickellsold.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brickellsold.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2137"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.brickellsold.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2137\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4053,"href":"https:\/\/www.brickellsold.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2137\/revisions\/4053"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brickellsold.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2138"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brickellsold.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2137"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brickellsold.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2137"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brickellsold.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2137"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}