Paradise Continues to Mark Progress in Recovery and Rebuilding

Paradise, CA

Seven years have passed since the Camp Fire devastated the Town of Paradise in Butte County, destroying the vast majority of buildings and homes, displacing thousands of people, and tragically claiming 85 lives. Today, stories of recovery and rebirth continue to emerge, and HCD is honored to play a small role in supporting the Town's ongoing journey to rebuilding and resiliency.

Paradise community leaders recently celebrated the grand opening of two new affordable housing communities for low-income individuals and families. In August, local and state leaders gathered to celebrate the opening of Eaglepointe Apartments, a 42-unit apartment complex for low-income families made possible by $7.3 million in funding from HCD's federally funded Community Development Block Grant - Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) program. The building is five stories tall and includes a community center, open space, and a play area for kids.

Eaglepointe Apartments Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony

In September, the community celebrated the opening of Mayer Commons, which added another dozen affordable rental homes to an area with ongoing critical need. Mayer Commons was built on the site of the former Kathy Court Apartments and received $7.6 million in CDBG-DR program funds. These homes are reserved for people with very low incomes, including seniors and those at risk of homelessness. Since the 2018 Camp Fire, HCD has made nearly $140 million in state and federal awards to Paradise to support development of 536 affordable rental homes such as these.

Mayer Commons Apartment Complex

Another $24.1 million was awarded to 70 Paradise homeowners through the ReCoverCA Owner-Occupied Reconstruction (OOR) Program, which helps finance rebuilding of single-family homes destroyed or damaged by qualifying disasters. The last of these 70 homes is anticipated to be completed by the end of the year.

HCD's investment extends beyond housing into community, economic, and workforce development. In 2024, HCD made a $17.9 million CDBG-DR Workforce Development (WD) grant to Town of Paradise received a nearly $17.9 million grant to establish the Paradise Resilient Infrastructure and Sustainable Education Center (Paradise RISE) on the Paradise High School campus. CDBG-DR-WD grants aim to support community development and help communities reach complete economic recovery after experiencing a disaster. Awarded programs must provide free job training and supportive services to low- to moderate-income (LMI) individuals in the community, with the goal of improving job placement opportunities for residents.

The Paradise RISE program is intended to train 500 local LMI residents in the construction trades-including specialized fields such as plumbing and electrical-or as certified nursing assistants. The award funds facility improvements, workforce training, and supportive services for participants. Paradise RISE training providers and partners include the Paradise Unified School District, Butte College, Valley Contractor's Exchange, and the Northern Rural Training and Employment Consortium.

HCD is steadfast in its commitment to responsibly steward state and federal resources to help communities impacted by natural disasters recover and rebuild for a hopeful and resilient future.