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Bangkok Post
09-07-2025
- General
- Bangkok Post
How to rebuild a community following the fire
When a wildfire burns through a community, the initial concern is identifying what is lost: businesses, homes, landscape. Reports tally the damage in raw numbers -- hectares burned, buildings destroyed, dollars lost. Similarly, wildfire recovery success is overwhelmingly measured by how closely the post-disaster housing count compares to pre-disaster numbers. But rebuilding, for people displaced by fires, is not measured in claims settled or roofs repaired. In the weeks, months, and years after wildfires subside, an important question emerges: What does it mean to rebuild a community? Something more than a group of structures or a location on the map, a community is the network of relationships, institutions, and even routines that structure everyday lives. It includes circles of care, informal economies, and cultural referents that make a place home -- the public libraries that serve as drop-by cooling centres, the churches that host neighbourhood meetings, the local grocery stores that offer informal gathering spaces. Disaster recovery policies often assume that if people can rebuild structures, they will return to their hometowns. But as my colleagues and I have investigated what it means to rebuild community in the aftermath of some of California's most destructive wildfires, we have found that many residents who want to return -- whose homes may even remain standing -- often find they have nowhere to return to. Wildfires do not merely displace individuals temporarily; they alter the social material of a place. The 2018 Camp Fire in Paradise and the 2017 Tubbs Fire in Santa Rosa bear this out. The loss of Paradise's schools and small businesses, and the destruction of its main hospital -- which did not rebuild -- forced many people to relocate, including families with children or whose workplaces were destroyed, and older and mobility-bound individuals. Pre-fire residents found it too expensive to rebuild, and developers and investors swooped in. Butte County Assessor's data shows that five years post-Camp Fire, non-resident homeownership rose from 34% pre-fire to nearly 56%, and the average distance between a home in Paradise and the tax address of its owner increased from 68 kilometres (42.5 miles) in 2017 to 222km by 2022, an increase of 327%. This means that over half of the town's housing stock is currently not occupied as a primary residence. These homes are either vacation homes or rental units. The resulting altered housing market was reconfigured to accommodate new, and often more affluent, homeowners. Five years after the fire, house prices drastically increased -- in Paradise between 45% and 83% and in nearby Chico between 45% and 57%. The 2017 Tubbs Fire in Santa Rosa also destroyed a huge swath of housing, though the town's economic and labour diversity, as well as its proximity to the Bay Area, helped it rebuild at a relatively quicker rate than Paradise. But homeownership data from the Sonoma County's Assessor's Office again shows that it may not be the same homeowners rebuilding or returning. In Santa Rosa, the rate of non-resident ownership rose from 16% pre-fire to 34% five years post-fire. Both fire-ravaged communities appear not much changed on the surface -- new houses, newly surfaced streets -- but they no longer contain the same people, networks, and places. In Santa Rosa and Paradise, renters -- who accounted for about 45% and 30% of the total housing units pre-fire, respectively -- have been some of the slowest to come back, as affordable rental housing has given way to pricier market-rate developments. In Paradise, only two schools reopened in their original locations shortly after the fire. In Santa Rosa, the privately run nonprofit school that served public-school children on the autism spectrum was destroyed, with its students dispersing across different sites for several years. The fires fundamentally reshaped the demographics of the towns, resulting in a less diverse community -- and one with fewer local support networks. It doesn't have to be this way. If we are to build fire-resilient communities, then we must look beyond recovery at an individual level and towards resilience at a systems level. Paradise and Santa Rosa experienced gentrification and displacement because current rebuilding policies put the burden of recovery on individuals: Homeowners have to fight their way through insurance claims and permits, renters depend on landlords to make repairs, and small business owners struggle to reopen, navigating bureaucracy while working to regain their clientele and income. But there are policies that states, counties, and cities can put in place to keep a community intact. Addressing housing dynamics -- affordability, zoning, and community cohesion -- rather than housing unit counts alone, is essential. The most critical policy failure is an absence of support for displaced renters and lower-income homeowners, who rely on rental protection, subsidies, and affordable housing initiatives to return home. Support can come from a variety of policies and community-centred land governance strategies. Community land trusts and cooperative housing models allow displaced residents to band together and collectively purchase land or achieve long-term affordable housing goals. No-Speculation Zones safeguard at-risk properties -- like underinsured plots or houses with unregistered titles -- by placing them in trusts or stewardship. Counties can serve as short-term buyers, holding the land for a time until neighbourhoods are ready to rebuild, and then transferring it back to residents or community organisations under long-term low- or no-cost leases that require developing permanent affordable housing. By taking land out of speculative markets and putting it into community hands, these models secure long-term stability and reverse the pattern of post-disaster redevelopment that serves higher-income newcomers instead of original residents. Permitting and zoning are critical. Excessively restrictive building codes hinder communities that might want to reshape their housing inventory to provide a wider range of affordable options. Recovery zoning overlays allow flexible reconstruction by temporarily relaxing or streamlining permitting for co-housing and clustered temporary residences. And in the immediate aftermath of a fire, interim zoning for flexible, temporary housing -- whether through modular units, accessory dwelling units, or loosened permitting for mobile homes -- shelters survivors while they go through the often-lengthy reconstruction process, giving them a shot at remaining part of the community. A sustainable and equitable recovery also depends on investment in infrastructure that benefits communities well beyond the duration of the initial disaster event. Planners need to account for the important role of schools, community buildings, and cultural centres to long-term resilience. These places are not add-ons -- they're pillars of recovery. And leaders must enshrine formal support, including compensation, for the carers -- social workers, case managers, community liaisons and coordinators -- who link residents to services, track their needs, and collect vital data that shape policy in the future. Rebuilding after a fire is as much about how residents stay connected as it is about where they reside. It's time to envision community as something more than a collection of buildings. "You can rebuild housing, you can rebuild infrastructure," one Paradise resident who lived through the Camp Fire explained in an interview. "But how do you rebuild a kind of sense of community? That's a whole different animal. And it's something that really isn't thought of that much." Zócalo Public Square Nicole Lambrou is a Los Angeles-based designer, architect, urbanist, founder and executive director of the nonprofit tinkercraft, and assistant professor in urban and regional planning at Cal Poly Pomona. This was written for Zócalo Public Square.
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Property assessments are out. Here's how much home values went up in your area
Property values have increased again in Ada County, but not as fast as in previous years. In 2024, the median home value in Ada County increased by 5.3%, according to the Ada County Assessor's Office. That's just a smidgen more than the 5.03% increase in 2023, according to Chief Deputy Assessor Brad Smith. 'It's encouraging to see a more stable market after the erratic valuation swings of the past,' Smith said in an email. The latest annual property assessments have been mailed to homeowners. The assessed value is what the office believes each property could have sold for in the real estate market. The new median assessed value in Ada County is $480,000, up from about $455,000 last year. Home values have certainly been erratic. Residential assessments skyrocketed in the early 2020s, when for multiple years the median assessed value for Ada County homes jumped by close to 30%. Then in 2023, most residents saw their assessments decrease. Homeowners have until the fourth Monday in June to appeal their homes' assessed value. So far, after a historically low year in 2024, appeals and phone calls are up, according to the office. Some homeowners may not see much change in their new assessments. Star has the lowest median assessed value jump in Ada County, an increase of 1.6%. Values jumped by over 7% in the 2024 assessments. On the other hand, North Boise took the top spot this year with a 7% median increase. Northeast Boise followed close behind at 6.6%. That brings North Boise up to a median $668,000 and Northeast Boise to a whopping $729,000. Times have changed in the last decade. In 2015, Northeast Boise homes were valued at less than half of that, right around $300,000. Northeast Boise is not the highest-priced neighborhood in the county though. That distinction belongs to Eagle, at $803, two lowest-valued neighborhoods are Garden City and West Boise, which both come in at under $398,000. Commercial property values increased 1.3% this year, down from last year's growth of around 2.7%. Property values and property taxes are not the same thing, the Assessor's Office stresses. Just because home values go up, residents don't automatically pay more in taxes. Tax increases also depend on how much money is needed to pay for local-government budgets. Local governments are working now to develop their budgets for the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1. Only then are levy rates set and actual taxes on your home determined. Idahoans will receive property tax bills in November Payments are due in December. Assessments are public record, and homeowners can look them up at Ada property assessments are out. See how homes in your neighborhood are affected See where Canyon County homeowners' property values rose fastest in the new assessments
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Confused by latest order? How to calculate if your Jackson County assessment is within limits
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Jackson County assessments are showing up in homeowner's mailboxes. Some people may be surprised at the increase after a May order from the State Tax Commission. Some taxpayers may receive tax refunds in June: When payments could arrive That order capped increases in each assessment period at 15% and set 2022 as a starting point for this year's assessments after 2023 assessments were heavily contested. But determining your maximum 2025 assessment is a little bit more complicated than a single multiplication or division. Legislator Sean Smith and Preston Smith (no relation) have been helping homeowners with appeals since assessments skyrocketed in 2023. This week as they went out again they've been getting questions about what the latest State Tax Commission Order and 15% cap really means. 'People look at it and the first thing they see is, I thought it was only going to be a 15% increase and that was the perception. I've probably answered it online 100 times,' Preston Smith said. 'A lot of people are contacting me thinking they only do the 15 percent once, but you have to do it twice,' Legislator Sean Smith explained. To illustrate how it works with the latest rules using 2022 assessments as the starting point, consider a home with a $100,000 assessed value in 2022. To calculate the maximum assessed value in 2023 multiply $100,000 by 1.15 which is $115,000. But then you have to multiply by 115% again to determine the maximum value a home could be assessed at this year. In this example it would be $132,250. The two 15% increases end up yielding a maximum increase of 32.25% during the two assessment periods. 'I would really urge people to do the math themselves to check it, check and really verify,' Preston Smith said. To do that, however, you have to know your home's 2022 assessed value, which according to those who have received this year's assessments, isn't on this year's notices. You can find that historical information online at the Jackson County Parcel Viewer or Ascend Web. If your increase ends up beyond the allowances under the State order or if you simply don't agree with your value, you still can appeal. Appeals have to be filed by July 14. Download WDAF+ for Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV As for seniors, 40,000 are already enrolled in a new tax credit program freezing tax bills. The county says estimated savings are included on notices, but are subject to change. Both Sean and Preston Smith say they are pressing the Assessor's Office for complete assessment data in 2022, 2023 and 2025 to see how much home values increased, and how many of those increases equated to the maximum allowed if no new construction was done under the State Tax Commission Order without a physical inspection. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Los Angeles wildfire victims may be missing relief money, County Assessor says
The Los Angeles County Assessor's Office is warning wildfire victims that they may be missing out on important tax relief or refund checks due to invalid addresses. Officials said Tuesday that while many property owners have already received lower property tax bills or even partial refunds through state disaster relief programs, hundreds of those checks and notices are now being returned to the county because the listed mailing addresses are no longer valid. 'In numerous cases, the original property—and with it, the recorded mailing address—was destroyed in the wildfires,' the assessor's office said. 'Getting relief into the hands of wildfire victims is a top priority for our Office,' said County Assessor Jeff Prang. 'But we need their help in updating contact information so that relief can reach them without delay.' After the fires, the Assessor's Office says it took a proactive approach in reviewing damage across all areas included in the official disaster declarations. All properties, even those in which the owner didn't file paperwork, have received lower property values if any damage was found. That decrease in property value results in a lower tax bill for homeowners and, in many cases, tax refunds. Homeowners whose properties were affected may have already received a Notice of Assessed Value Change, which is a letter that explains how much their property's taxable value has been temporarily reduced due to damage. This can significantly reduce their property tax bills until the home is repaired or rebuilt, officials said. But to get refund checks or future notices without delay, homeowners must make sure their current mailing address is on file with the county. Pacific Coast Highway reopens early following Palisades Fire closure The Assessor's Office stresses that a change in address does not change the location of the property, but simply ensures that important documents and refunds are delivered to where the owner can actually receive them. 'We understand how devastating these fires have been, and we are committed to making sure impacted property owners receive the support they're entitled to,' Prang said. Los Angeles County homeowners can update their mailing address by visiting the County Assessor's website. For more details about wildfire-related tax relief, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
13-05-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Cook County property tax bills delayed after data error, officials say
Your Cook County property tax bill could be delayed after a data error at the Cook County Assessor's Office is holding up a key step in the process. Assessor Fritz Kaegi blamed Tyler Technologies, the contractor in charge of updating the data systems across the county's property tax offices for the issue. "The Cook County Assessor's Office does not determine when tax bills go out. For the past six months, the Assessor's Office has been sounding the alarm on this issue with all the people involved in the transition off of the legacy mainframe," Kaegi's office said in a statement. "It is not an easy process to retire this antiquated system, and it is imperative that all of the data transferred to the new system is correct. We have made repeated requests from the vendor, Tyler Technologies, to change these specific IDOR reports to ensure that they are wholly accurate." But Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said the problem originated during the assessor's portion of the process, in which "data was not transmitted to the state in a timely manner." Preckwinkle's statement continued to say that her office is now in communication with the Assessor's Office as they work through the delay. "With this issue now on the radar of the Property Tax Reform Group, we can collaborate to help ensure that tax bills go out as soon as possible," Preckwinkle wrote. It was not immediately clear how delayed property tax bills would be in reaching homeowners.
