With many families still navigating rebuilding hurdles after January’s wildfires, Gov. Gavin Newsom Tuesday announced a new website designed to speed recovery and guide residents through the rebuilding process.
The website, larises.org/resources, provides fire survivors with resources to help navigate the multi-step rebuilding process. Homeowners can review their primary rebuilding options and learn about modular or factory-built homes, predesigned homes, semi-custom homes and custom homes.
The website also includes a resource hub with connections to trusted partners, builders, vendors and organizations, along with links to local government sites, mortgage assistance information and a recovery services finder.
Newsom partnered with LA Rises, a recovery initiative launched earlier this year, to develop the site. LA Rises brings together private-sector leaders to support rebuilding efforts by Los Angeles County, the city of Los Angeles and the state.
“Recovery takes time, but every day counts for families working to rebuild. We continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with survivors — walking with them through local processes and supporting the hard work of rebuilding,” Newsom said in a statement. “As we near the one-year mark of this tragedy, we know the pain hasn’t faded.”
“The job isn’t finished, and we’ll keep showing up to speed progress, support and resources these communities deserve,” Newsom added.
The website also connects fire survivors with Archistar, the AI-powered permitting tool, which is helping homeowners speed through permitting approvals, according to the Newsom’s office.
Archistar was provided free of charge to local governments and to users through a partnership between the state and philanthropic partners such as LA Rises and Steadfast LA, with contributions from Autodesk and Amazon.
For L.A. County residents who used the technology, permitting review times dropped by an average of 54% for “like-for-like” rebuilds compared to applications without an Archistar report, according to the governor’s office. For “non-like-for-like” rebuilds, permitting time was reduced by more than 36%.
L.A. city residents who used the program also saw similar reductions to permitting timelines.