Altadena area leaders and fire victims rallied Friday to ensure that post-Eaton fire rebuilding efforts are fair and equitable.
Faye Austin, 88, of Altadena, lost her small home on Crosby Street to the fire and was forced to seek refuge at a Red Cross shelter.
“I’ve been there ever since,” Austin said. “I’ve been there for a week, and I think it’s been about five days.”
Donnie Kinnessy, an Altadena resident who also lost his home in the Eaton fire, was one of hundreds of people who rushed to speak for the thousands of people suffering in the aftermath of the fire.
“Everything was on fire, my house and everything I worked hard for was gone,” Kinnessy said.
Kinnessy, whose family has lived in Pasadena since they were forced out of Tulsa in a race riot a century ago, said she worries about how the Black community will be affected by the destruction.
“We know this is an opportunity that people are going to take advantage of,” Kinsey said. “We’re not going anywhere, we’re fighting.”
The community puts residents ahead of developers and speculators and strives to support neighborhoods like Austin that need it most.
“There were some days where I was sick, but it was just one day and I just tried to stay as upbeat as possible the rest of the time,” Austin said.
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