Journal Entry #18 - A New Year
New Year Greetings from the Foothill Catalog —
The start of 2026 has arrived with mixed emotions, as January 7th marked the one-year anniversary of the Eaton and Palisades Fires. Through the many events and messages shared that day, one thing was clear: we are deeply grateful to be part of a strong, resilient community that continues to show up in every way imaginable. To the fire survivors, all of our partners, fellow non-profits, community groups & leaders, local businesses, and friends - thank you for showing up day after day. 2026 is a new chapter, filled with many new beginnings we hope - and we are proud to continue walking this path with you all.
First, A Partner Highlight & Grant Announcement - Altadena Builds Back Foundation
We’re grateful to share that The Foothill Catalog Foundation has received a grant from the Altadena Builds Back Foundation, in partnership with the Pasadena Community Foundation and the Ballmer Group.
This support strengthens our organizational framework and team capacity, allowing us to more effectively serve fire survivors - particularly fixed income homeowners - throughout the rebuild process. The grant supports a more equitable path to recovery by expanding access to high-quality, resilient, affordable, and community-focused architectural design through pre-approved home plans.
We’re deeply thankful for this local partnership and look forward to continuing this work together to deliver meaningful, life-changing progress for fire survivors.
Preapproval Updates
Right before the new year, we learned that the Alice, Billy, Marlowe, and Casita Blanca were officially pre-approved with LA County. The Oma, Opa, Abuelito & Abuelita ADUs were also approved! This brings our pre-approved Catalog to 29 design variations, ranging from 495 sqft ADUs to 1915 sqft homes, plus a range of garage options.
All of the Phase 1 designs are now pre-approved with LA County!
On The Boards
Our design team is also working as quickly as possible to develop and permit the next batch of homes. The upcoming designs currently being documented / undergoing plan check review include:
The Figueroa (one story & two story option)
We’ve also updated our On the Boards page to reflect upcoming concept designs, including additional mid-century modern options, a larger 2 story Craftsman home, and a compact design suited for wide but shallow lots.
Please note: until a design is officially marked “pre-approved,” plans may continue to evolve. We’ll do our best to keep sharing updates as adjustments are made.
Pre-approvals and Construction — Status Updates
Over the next year, we’ll continue highlighting Foothill Catalog homes as they move through design, permitting, and construction.
January 2026 - Pre-Approvals
29 pre-approved home plans in the Foothill Catalog
5 pre-approved plans submitted to LA City to begin building the Coastal Catalog for the Pacific Palisades
Beyond the Designs
1 home nearing completion
3 homes actively under construction
15 site-specific approvals and final building permits, completed or in progress
33 homeowners in bidding and contractor selection, completed or in progress
23 nonprofit builds planned with our partners for under-resourced homeowners
We’ve met with 133 families in one-on-one consultations to explore Foothill Catalog homes as part of their rebuild journey.
& counting!
Throughout Altadena, over 500 builds are reported to be underway, and the recent Department of Angels Report indicates that 92% of Altadenans surveyed want to rebuild. At TFCF, we’re proud to be one part of a collective effort to help provide another pathway towards rebuilding this community. And a gentle reminder that everyone’s rebuild journey is different - the only correct pace is your own.
Interested in learning more about our process or utilizing a pre-approved plan? Contact us or fill out the Rebuild Questionnaire!
Upcoming Events & News
We’ll be hosting a couple events in the coming weeks:
Altadena Revealed is back for 2026!
Co-hosted with Altadena Heritage, the Altadena Historical Society, Pasadena Heritage, and the Bungalow Heaven Neighborhood Association. We started this monthly lecture series in March 2025 and have since hosted amazing community speakers covering a range of topics from the history and legacy of Altadena’s African American community, Altadena’s trees, local historic figures like Owen Brown, iconic places like Christmas Tree Lane, and much more.
We’re excited to continue this series with January’s lecture, Itinerant Craftsman: Lessons from the Duntley-Blackburn Residence featuring our speaker Graham Larkin.
In 1910 a grand Craftsman-style home was built for realtor G.M. Duntley. By 2025 the building was slated for demolition, but was ultimately saved and relocated from Los Feliz to a fire-ravaged plot in Altadena. The house had been saved once before, by owner Alice Blackburn who threw a huge party in the house the night it moved from East Hollywood to make way for the Hollywood Freeway. Although the party was unusual, at the time it was common practice to transport and reuse threatened buildings. It's time to revive this building relocation tradition at scale — a process that will require revised historic ordinances, streamlined permitting, and regular coordination among local governments.
Open House - February (date to be determined shortly)
We are currently in the planning stages for an Open House in February. Meet our team in person, come with any questions, and view our available and upcoming designs. We’re also excited to feature a virtual reality (VR) station in partnership with tkei - so you can actually walk through a selection of VR Foothill Catalog homes.
Finally - TFCF was recently featured in The Guardian in a comprehensive article on the Eaton and Palisades Fires, one year post-disaster.
More to come in 2026 —
Until Next Time,
The Foothill Catalog