Eaton Fire survivors sound off at Altadena council meeting to prevent invasion of home developers

Eaton Fire survivors gathered at an Altadena City Council meeting on Tuesday night to voice their concerns over what many are calling an invasion of greedy developers who are looking to buy burned-out lots and turn them into multi-unit housing. 

The massive crowd lined up to speak and demand that lawmakers impose new restrictions on developers who want to build what were once single-family lots. 

Kenneth McPheeters and his family, who have lived in the Altadena area since the 1960s and lost several homes in the January 2025 fire, are worried that the incoming developers are taking advantage of California's housing laws, which allow builders to construct multiple units on a lot that is typically used for one house. 

"When we burned up, maybe they should have had a plan put together so people could build homes in some kind of conformity," McPheeters said. 

He was one of many who spoke directly to their representative in the California Senate, Sasha Renée Pérez, on Tuesday. They fear that despite her ongoing efforts to craft legislation to prevent developers from moving in on Altadena to build massive projects, it could be too late. 

"Now, we have two three-story homes next to a single-family home, and it looks really hodgepodge up here," McPheeters said.

Fire survivors say that affordable housing is a priority in Altadena, and that they want renters to return, but without destroying the character of the city's historic neighborhoods. 

"It's eclectic, so everybody rebuilding on their own terms, the style that they choose, it's still going to be eclectic, but developers coming in and putting in stuff that's not sensitive to the character of Altadena and really just the making of the profit," said Brooke Lohman, a renter whose home burned in the fire. 

The community has gotten support from Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, whose district includes Altadena. She's also calling for tougher regulations on what developers can build. 

"People in Altadena are upset, and I think the meeting tonight, I know the meeting tonight with the town council, is important because state representatives need to hear the frustration in the community," Barger said while speaking with CBS LA. 

CBS LA has reached out to Pérez's office for comment on the legislation but has not yet heard back.