Homeowners who lost their properties in the Palisades and Eaton fires now have access to a new digital platform designed to simplify and accelerate the rebuilding process. Launched by a nonprofit consortium, the online portal provides pre-vetted home designs and connects survivors with a group of licensed builders, aiming to reduce costs and deliver new homes as early as 2026.
The initiative, a collaboration between academic experts and real estate industry leaders, leverages technology to overcome common hurdles in post-disaster reconstruction. By centralizing design options and streamlining builder bids, the program hopes to create a more predictable and affordable path for families looking to rebuild their lives.
Key Takeaways
- A new online portal has been launched for survivors of the Palisades and Eaton fires to aid in rebuilding their homes.
- The platform offers vetted residential templates and connects homeowners with a consortium of 10 licensed builders.
- The goal is to reduce construction costs through economies of scale and have some homes completed by the third quarter of 2026.
- The initiative is a result of Project Recovery, a group involving experts from USC, UCLA, and the Urban Land Institute.
A Digital Solution for a Complex Problem
The aftermath of a wildfire presents homeowners with a daunting series of challenges, from navigating insurance claims to finding reliable contractors. The new portal, developed by the Builders Alliance, is designed to act as a central resource to simplify this journey. The platform uses artificial intelligence to map every fire-damaged residential lot in the affected areas.
Property owners can enter their address to see a curated selection of home designs that comply with local zoning regulations for their specific parcel. This eliminates a significant amount of preliminary research and planning that can often delay reconstruction for months. Users can filter their options based on critical preferences, including square footage, the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, and overall price.
What is Project Recovery?
Project Recovery is a collaborative effort formed by real estate experts and academics to create a practical roadmap for post-disaster rebuilding. Its key members include leaders from the USC Lusk Center for Real Estate, the UCLA Ziman Center for Real Estate, and the Los Angeles chapter of the Urban Land Institute. Their March 2025 report recommended forming a builder consortium to achieve economies of scale, a recommendation that has now been realized with the Builders Alliance.
Lew Horne, chairman of Project Recovery, described the initiative as an attempt to create an "'easy' button for homeowners." The platform is powered by Canibuild, a company specializing in site-planning software for residential construction. By integrating local regulations and builder specifications, it provides a seamless interface for homeowners to visualize their future property and compare competitive bids from trusted builders.
The Power of a Builders Alliance
A core component of this recovery effort is the formation of the Builders Alliance, a group of 10 licensed homebuilders. This consortium includes a mix of small, boutique firms and large, established companies like Brookfield Residential and Richmond American Homes. This collaboration is designed to tackle one of the biggest obstacles in post-disaster rebuilding: inflated costs and material shortages.
By working together, the builders can purchase materials in bulk, securing better prices and ensuring a more stable supply chain. This collective bargaining power translates into direct savings for homeowners, with the goal of offering turnkey homes at costs equal to or below average insurance payouts. For those desiring more customization, options for custom builds are also available through the portal.
"We wanted to lean in and do anything we could to help out. We could collaborate to beat down costs, be more efficient, and hopefully drive a higher percentage of rebuilding."
– Adrian Foley, CEO of Brookfield Residential
Brookfield Residential has a direct connection to the community, having built the La Vina development in Altadena where 52 homes were destroyed. Their involvement, alongside other builders, demonstrates a commitment to not just reconstruction, but to making the process more efficient and affordable for the entire community.
By the Numbers: The Rebuilding Effort
- 10: The number of licensed homebuilders in the Builders Alliance.
- 2026: The target year for completing the first homes built through the program.
- 52: The number of homes lost in the La Vina community alone, a development originally built by a member of the alliance.
- 800+: The number of homeowners in Palisades and Altadena who had sought rebuilding permits six months after the fires.
Combining Technology with Expertise
The project is more than just a website; it is the culmination of extensive research and strategic planning by some of the region's top minds in real estate and urban planning. Project Recovery's framework was developed by professors from the graduate real estate programs at both USC and UCLA, in partnership with the Urban Land Institute, a nonprofit research organization.
This academic and industry partnership ensures that the solution is grounded in sound economic principles and practical construction realities. The vetting process for the 10 builders in the alliance was overseen by Project Recovery to ensure quality and reliability. "We’re keeping a close eye on the builders," Horne stated, emphasizing the commitment to ensuring homeowners receive a quality home at a fair price and within a predictable timeframe.
The use of AI-powered software to map parcels and match them with pre-approved designs represents a significant leap forward in disaster recovery. Traditionally, each homeowner would have to independently hire architects, surveyors, and engineers to navigate complex zoning laws. This platform automates much of that initial work, allowing families to focus on choosing a home rather than getting bogged down in bureaucracy.
A Model for Future Recoveries
While focused on the Palisades and Eaton fire survivors, this initiative could serve as a blueprint for other communities facing similar tragedies. The combination of a builder consortium, a technology-driven platform, and expert oversight addresses the key pain points of post-disaster rebuilding: cost, time, and complexity.
The slow pace of rebuilding is a common issue in disaster-stricken areas. A recent analysis of past California fires showed that over five years later, only 38% of the 22,500 homes lost had been rebuilt. By creating economies of scale and streamlining the pre-construction phase, the Builders Alliance and its new portal aim to drastically improve that statistic for Los Angeles County residents.
As construction crews continue their work in fire-scarred neighborhoods, this new tool offers a tangible source of hope. It provides a clear, structured path forward, empowering residents to take the next step in reclaiming their homes and rebuilding their community with greater confidence and support.
