Several deadlines approaching for Mountain Fire Victims to get aid
VENTURA COUNTY, Calif. — It’s been a difficult couple months for renters like Karla Villanueva who says she is starting off the new year at a deficit.
“Right now, we are paying $2,600 for rent. It's a 1 bedroom, one bathroom… we are living in Ojai, but honestly we are all squished together in a little small place. Next step would be just looking for somewhere way bigger for our whole family. But it's difficult,” said Villanueva.
Villanueva was renting a home in Somis that burned in the Mountain Fire.
Though she says her new year’s resolution is to be closer to her family — she didn’t think this many of them would be confined to one room.
“My brother, my mom, my dad, me, my daughter and my husband. So it's six of us,” said Villanueva.
In addition to the brutal housing market, there are concerns about winds and winter weather.
There are resources available – from tips on how to prepare for potential debris flows this winter to debris removal aid.
But you don’t need to have homeowner’s insurance to qualify for the debris removal aid.
“Teams that are already out in the field doing site assessments. Once that's completed, they will also do complete asbestos removal and then eventually the debris removal, which will involve heavy equipment. They're using a lot of water, a lot of liquid to spray on the dust as they're removing the debris because we're trying to prevent that from exposing the local community,” said County of Ventura Environmental Health Division Director, Charles Genkel.
Right of entry forms and debris removal applications are due Monday, January 13th.
Deadlines for disaster loans are also quickly approaching:
The deadline to apply for SBA physical disaster loans (Disaster Number CA-20896) is quickly approaching on January 28, 2025. The deadline for economic injury disaster loans is August 29, 2025.
Applications for disaster loans may be submitted online using the MySBA Loan Portal at https://lending.sba.gov or other locally announced locations. Please contact the SBA’s Customer Service Center by email at disastercustomerservice@sba.gov or by phone at 1-800-659-2955 for further assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.
Mountain Fire survivors are encouraged to attend Tuesday’s town hall meeting for guidance on how to move forward.
That meeting will be from 6- 9 pm at Rancho Campana High School in Camarillo.
