Executive Summary

This research brief analyzes our second survey of manufactured housing (MH) residents in three manufactured housing communities (MHCs) impacted by the 2025 Los Angeles Fires.

All three MHCs were impacted by the Palisades Fire and include Tahitian Terrace, Palisades Bowl, and Malibu Village. The survey was administered from August to September 2026 with the following aims:

• To identify the demographics and tenure of MH households prior to the fire

• To record the experiences of MH residents during wildfire response

• To catalogue MH resident experiences thus far with wildfire recovery

Our goal was to provide the three MHCs with core descriptive statistics to aid in their recovery. On this axis, we identified six key findings for MH households impacted by the 2025 Palisades Fire:

1. Older MHC Population: 58% of respondents are over 60 years old and on fixed incomes. In general, about 86% of MH households are considered “low income” for the area.

2. Accelerating MH Housing Insecurity: There was a 10% increase since March 2026 in MH households stating they have not started their fire recovery. Additionally, more households have had to move again, with fewer living in rentals and more living with family and friends.

3. An Insurance-Forward Relief: MH households report receiving nearly all of their recovery funds from insurance (a median of $158,000). However, insurance only covered 44.8% of home replacement costs and 61.6% of outstanding home loans, on average.

4. Absence of MH FEMA Assistance: MH residents reported receiving a median of $758 from FEMA, less than the $770 provided by Serious Needs Assistance. This raises questions as to why they failed to receive Individual Assistance or Serious Needs Assistance.

5. Cleaned Up But Not Clean: 95.5% of respondents have had the debris removed from their property; however, 66% are unsure if the property has been tested for contaminants yet.

6. Uncertain Recovery: Despite 84% of respondents hoping to move back to their MHC, 78% state their landowner has not yet indicated if rebuilding will occur. This is worsened by lack of communication: 85% of MH residents have only been contacted once in six months by park management or not at all as of August 2026.

This is the third research brief of our collaborative research project with Neighborhood Partnership Housing Services. The larger project is tracking post-Palisades Fire recovery outcomes for three impacted manufactured housing communities in the Pacific Palisades.