Temporary Housing Permit Process
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: You may use a recreational vehicle, manufactured home or mobilehome as temporary housing if you lived in a legally-established single-family residence, accessory dwelling unit(s), or caretaker’s residence that was destroyed or made uninhabitable by a disaster. The temporary housing unit must not be placed on any existing debris field.
The steps detailed below are for residents in unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County, including Altadena and communities of the Santa Monica Mountains.
- Residents of the City of Los Angeles should go to: https://dbs.lacity.gov/
- Pasadena residents should go to: https://www.cityofpasadena.net/planning/recovery-virtual-consultations/
- Residents of Malibu should go to: https://maliburebuilds.org
- Sierra Madre residents should go to: https://www.sierramadreca.gov/
Step 1: Site Clearance and Application Submission—All Underway and Available Now
IMPORTANT: Residents do not have to wait for the completion of Phase 1 and Phase 2 debris removal to submit an application for temporary housing. The steps outlined below can happen concurrently.
Site Clearance
- Phase 1: Household Hazardous Debris Removal – The U.S. EPA has initiated the removal of hazardous materials. The EPA must provide clearance before moving to Phase 2.
- Phase 2: Fire Debris Removal – Property owners can opt in for free cleanup by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers or opt out and pay a specialized, approved contractor to remove the remaining fire debris. To complete your Right of Entry form and opt-in or out of the government-run debris removal program, please visit https://recovery.lacounty.gov/debris-removal/roe. The deadline to submit your completed opt-in/opt-out form is April 15, 2025.
Submitting Your Application
- LA County will accept applications for temporary housing when a property owner is ready to submit them. Applications will be reviewed concurrently with Phases 1 and 2 site clearance activities.
- Temporary Housing applications may be submitted online or in person at any of our field offices.
- Online: https://bit.ly/TempHousingEPIC
- In-person: https://bit.ly/TemporaryHousingApplication
- YOUR APPLICATION WILL BE EXPEDITED
Step 2: Permits
Your application will be internally routed for review with LA County Planning, LA County Public Health, and LA County Building and Safety. Site Clearance under Step 1 must be completed before the issuance of the Temporary Housing permit.
Step 3: Setup Your Temporary Housing
Inspections may be required.