(BPRW) New ADUs delivered for Altadena Families Displaced by Eaton Fire | Tech Zone Daily

(BPRW) New ADUs delivered for Altadena Families Displaced by Eaton Fire

Shared Harvest Foundation joins with community partners to help families return home after catastrophic loss.

(Tech Zone Daily) Shared Harvest Foundation today joined with three nonprofit partners and local residents in Altadena to install two new Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs). This marks an important milestone for families whose homes were destroyed in the Eaton Fire.

The project is part of a collaborative initiative between Shared Harvest Foundation, The SoLa Foundation, MODEL/Z, SoCal NOMA (National Organization of Minority Architects), and Greenline Housing Foundation as part of the Dena Forward Alliance (DFA) — working together to help families return to their properties faster after catastrophic loss.  “This structure represents more than housing,” said Dr. NanaEfua Afoh-Manin, Emergency Physician and founder of Shared Harvest Foundation. “What we’ve learned through this initiative is that rebuilding after a disaster is not just a construction challenge—it’s a public health challenge. Families need housing, but they also need to remain proximal to their communities and to have partners willing to walk alongside them to navigate resources for the long journey home.”

The Eaton Fire devastated large portions of Altadena, destroying homes, displacing long-standing families, and leaving many residents navigating a complex rebuilding process while displaced all over the city. Beyond construction costs, recovery has required families to manage cascading challenges—from temporary housing instability and financial barriers to their physical and emotional wellbeing.  For two neighboring residents who have lived side by side in Altadena for more than 30 years, the ADU installation represents a meaningful step forward. Both households lost their homes in the fire and were the first two recipients of the program assigned to a Shared Harvest Disaster Care Manager (DCM). One household includes a senior resident living with a family member with disability, the other a single mother and school teacher working through the financial and logistical hurdles of rebuilding- both initially relying on each other for information.

“We are thrilled to be in partnership with Shared Harvest.” said Matthew Trotter, President of SoCal NOMA, “Families need trusted guidance. Shared Harvest meets them where they are and ensures they have access to the right resources and experts when they’re ready.”

Shared Harvest has worked with over 200 families to address the social determinants of health that shape disaster recovery, including housing and financial instability, access to mental health resources, and other coordinated caregiving support.  While the ADU is not the final stage of recovery, it brings the families back home. The initiative was designed to give families a place to live on their land as they rebuild their
primary residence, reducing the costs of outside temporary housing and allowing homeowners to focus their resources on rebuilding their lives and generational wealth. The collaborating partners hope that this installation demonstrates the scalability of this model, which integrates housing innovation with care coordination and public health strategies.

“Throughout this journey, we learned quickly that it takes trusted, specialized partners to successfully grant ADUs at no-cost to families and get them back home,” said Sherri Francois, the Executive Director of The SoLa Foundation. “Working with Shared Harvest has been delightful. We couldn’t have asked to be in partnership with a more compassionate and dedicated team that is equally determined to bring more families back home.” – Sherri Francois

ADU recipient Ms. Ana shared, “After the fires, the decisions and obstacles felt overwhelming. Shared Harvest reassured me that I wasn’t alone. They helped me first get access to counseling, then get organized, helped resolve a difficult dispute with my neighbor, and understand the benefits of the ADU opportunity. They made sure I didn’t miss anything and were always a call away. I’m in a different place emotionally from that day in June when Dr. Nana asked me what help I needed. It’s been a blessing and I’m so grateful to the entire team for their generosity.”

The initiative brings together partners with complementary expertise under one mission to offer free ADUs to families in need:

• Shared Harvest Foundation provides care coordination and case management support, including mental health resources, cross-agency communication, and subgrants to address recovery gaps not covered by traditional rebuilding programs.
• The SoLa Foundation and MODEL/Z provide the modular ADU units and project management to install the units on the properties.
• SoCal NOMA contributed architectural expertise and design leadership supporting community-centered rebuilding.
• Greenline Housing Foundation helped guide the families through screening and application navigation while coordinating incidental subsidies to offset construction-related costs.

Media Opportunity

Media are invited to attend the ADU crane installation in Altadena on Monday.

Media Contact
Shared Harvest Foundation
alliance@sharedharvestfund.org

Photo Assets
High-resolution photos from the ADU installation will be available following the event.

About Shared Harvest Foundation (SHF)

Shared Harvest Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization advancing community-centered solutions through capacity building, workforce wellbeing, and disaster recovery.  Through initiatives such as the Dena Forward Alliance, the foundation works alongside local partners to help families rebuild after crises while strengthening the systems that support long-term community resilience. SHF’s grant partners for this project include Direct Relief and the Centene Foundation.

About The SoLa Foundation, SoLa Impact and MODEL/Z

The SoLa Foundation is the 501(c)(3) nonprofit affiliate of affordable housing developer SoLa Impact, working to create new access to high-quality affordable housing, education and economic opportunity in underserved communities across Los Angeles. SoLa worked with their affiliated modular housing factory, MODEL/Z, to grant the ADUs at no cost to families affected by the Eaton fire. The SoLa Foundation’s capital partners to support this project include Better Angels, JFEDLA, The Los Angeles County Legislative Delegation led by Assemblymember Tina McKinnor (CA-61), the California Fire Foundation, and others.

About SoCal NOMA

The Southern California chapter of the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA) promotes diversity, equity, and excellence in architecture while supporting community-centered design and equitable rebuilding initiatives.

About Greenline Housing Foundation

Greenline Housing expands equitable pathways to homeownership and housing stability through education, financial navigation, and community partnerships.