Maya Lieberman, a 50-year-old stylist, is struggling to find a place to live after devastating wildfires swept through the Pacific Palisades. The fires, which started on Tuesday, have destroyed entire neighborhoods and forced over 105,000 people to evacuate. An additional 87,000 residents are under evacuation warnings. Tragically, the death toll has already reached 16, and authorities have reported 16 missing people, with numbers expected to rise.
The Pacific Palisades, once a luxurious area home to celebrities like Billy Crystal and Kate Beckinsale, has been hit hard. Even those whose homes were spared are unable to return due to safety concerns and ongoing evacuation orders. Many residents are now looking for temporary housing, but soaring rental prices have made this incredibly difficult.
Maya’s experience highlights the struggles many are facing. She applied for a rental listed at $17,000 a month, only to be told she’d need to pay $30,000 to secure it. Landlords are taking advantage of the desperate situation by increasing prices dramatically, often demanding cash offers. Maya called the situation “obscene” and said the price gouging has left her with no viable options.
California’s Attorney General Rob Bonta has warned against such exploitation. During a press conference, he emphasized that price gouging is illegal and punishable by fines and up to a year in jail. He also condemned those trying to profit from the chaos caused by the wildfires, including looters and scammers. Bonta made it clear that authorities are committed to holding these individuals accountable.
The fires have caused widespread destruction and left many families displaced, with some of the state’s wealthiest residents also struggling to find housing. The greed of opportunistic landlords has only added to the challenges faced by those already dealing with immense loss. For Maya and thousands of others, the road to recovery is being made even harder by the actions of those seeking to profit from their desperation.
As the fires continue to rage and evacuation orders remain in place, many displaced residents are left with limited options and rising frustrations. Despite warnings from law enforcement, the unethical practices of some landlords have turned an already devastating situation into an even more difficult ordeal for wildfire victims.
