Los Angeles County will open a local assistance center in Rolling Hills Estates tomorrow, providing a one-stop shop for information and resources for residents impacted by a landslide that has destroyed at least 10 homes in the city.
The county also announced a partnership with Airbnb to help displaced residents find a place to stay.
“Through no fault of their own, these residents lost everything, and they are just starting to figure out how they are going to recover from this tragedy,” Supervisor Janice Hahn said in a statement. “In the coming days and weeks, Los Angeles County and my office will be here to support these residents and get them the help they need.
“This week, we will open a Local Assistance Center that will be a one- stop-shop for specially tailored help from the city, the county, and the state. We are also reaching out to businesses and philanthropic organizations to see what help they can provide, and I want to thank Airbnb for being the first to step up.”
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According to Hahn's office, the assistance center will include officials the county departments of public works, mental health, public social services, assessor, registrar-recorder/county clerk, economic opportunity, consumer and business affairs and treasurer/tax collector. Various Rolling Hills Estates city agencies will also take part, along with utility companies, American Red Cross, Palos Verdes Unified School District and state Department of Insurance, Department of Motor Vehicles and Office of Emergency Services.
The center will be open from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. The center will be open only to residents who were impacted by the landslide, which began the weekend of July 8 on Peartree Lane and led to the evacuation of 17 homes, at least 12 of which were red-tagged and 10 of which were heavily damaged or destroyed.
According to Hahn's office, the partnership with Airbnb will provide displaced residents with 30 days of free stays at local short-term rentals. The program will be overseen by the county Office of Emergency Management, which will work directly with impacted residents to provide the housing.
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There's still no official word on what caused the land to slide, although geologists hired by the area homeowners association have begun assessing the area.
The Rolling Hills Estates City Council last week unanimously passed a resolution declaring a local emergency in response to the slide.
“The estimated costs in responding to the Peartree Lane Land Movement Incident are unknown at this time due to the evolving nature of the situation,” according to a staff report prepared for the council. “Adoption of this resolution will facilitate the ability for the city to request resources including financial support and reimbursement from the State Office of Emergency Services and Federal Emergency Management Agency for costs incurred for the response of this emergency.”
Also last week, a $125,000 fund -- created with a $100,000 contribution from Hahn's office and $25,000 from the city of Rolling Hills Estates -- was established to assist affected residents with costs such as temporary housing, food or other essentials.
County Assessor Jeff Prang has also said his office will expedite reassessments of affected properties to ensure owners of destroyed properties are not faced with excessive tax bills.
