Completed Altadena Demonstration Homes Unveiled as Model for Faster Disaster Rebuilding

Permitted in four weeks and built in six months, the Tonia Homes offer a faster, more affordable path home while preserving Altadena’s character.

ALTADENA, CA, UNITED STATES, October 27, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Nearly 400 rebuilding families, community partners and government leaders gathered Saturday to celebrate the completion of the Tonia Homes, a demonstration project by the Foothill Catalog Foundation and Williams Rebuild that offers a working model for faster, more affordable disaster recovery while preserving the architectural character and community identity of Altadena.

The two fully furnished homes and accompanying accessory dwelling units (ADUs) were permitted in just four weeks and completed for occupancy in six months, including landscaping, illustrating how coordinated design, streamlined permitting and experienced construction teams can substantially reduce the time, cost and complexity of rebuilding after disaster.

Presented in partnership with the Callahan Family Foundation, the Tonia Homes have served as living community resources since breaking ground, allowing fire-impacted residents to follow the rebuilding process through educational workshops, construction tours and firsthand insight into permitting, materials, design decisions and resilient building practices.

Saturday’s celebration featured lively music, food trucks, homebuilding sponsor exhibits, remarks from federal, state and local officials, and two ribbon cuttings followed by tours of the completed residences.

With more than 70 architectural designs inspired by Altadena’s distinctive neighborhoods, the Foothill Catalog Foundation offers a streamlined starting point that preserves the community’s architectural diversity — making the rebuilding process accessible to more families.

By utilizing a pre-approved design rather than commissioning a fully custom architectural package, homeowners can save years of time, complexity and over $100,000 in preconstruction costs.

In partnership with Williams Rebuild, that architectural framework is paired with an integrated construction process that aligns estimating, procurement, permitting, and homebuilding from the outset.

The Tonia Demonstration Homes were completed at a total project cost of approximately $1.35 million per property, inclusive of land acquisition and all development and construction costs, and will be made available to fire-impacted Altadena families at cost. With an estimated market value of approximately $1.85 million per property, the difference reflects the project’s not-for-profit structure, including waived builder profit as well as discounted and donated labor, materials, and project support.

Together, the homes demonstrate how coordinated design, construction, philanthropy, and community partnership can help create a more attainable path to rebuilding while keeping long-term community benefit at the center of the project.

Foothill Catalog Foundation representatives Cynthia Sigler, AIA, and Executive Director Alex Athenson emphasized the importance of removing the barriers that make disaster rebuilding costly, complicated and overwhelming for families, while keeping longtime residents in the neighborhoods they helped shape.

Sadie Williams, Founder and CEO of Williams Rebuild, highlighted the collaboration among architects, builders, suppliers and public agencies that made the accelerated timeline possible. She also celebrated the dedication and craftsmanship of the construction teams whose work transformed the vision into completed homes in just six months.

One of the day’s most memorable moments came when Jasmin Shupper of Greenline Housing Foundation surprised longtime Altadena residents Erion and Stephan Taylor with the announcement that their family had been selected to receive the completed Elizabeth home and ADU at cost — approximately $500,000 below market value.

The announcement illustrated the project’s central purpose: creating an attainable path home for fire-impacted families while helping preserve the fabric of Altadena’s community.

The event featured remarks from U.S. Representative Judy Chu, California State Senator Sasha Renée Pérez, Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, Los Angeles County Public Works Director Mark Pestrella and Altadena Town Council Member Kim Yu, alongside project leaders.

Speakers praised the collaboration as an example of how public agencies, nonprofit organizations, builders and community partners can work together to accelerate disaster recovery.

The remarks also acknowledged the considerable work still ahead, noting that nearly one-third of families displaced by the Eaton Fire have yet to begin rebuilding. Officials emphasized the importance of reducing barriers to reconstruction while preserving the people, neighborhoods and identity that make Altadena unique.

Following the remarks, two ribbon cuttings officially opened the completed residences, as community members lined up to tour the beautifully staged interiors, landscaped yards and accompanying ADUs.

The staging, directed by Sadie Williams and the Williams Rebuild team, allowed visitors to experience the residences as welcoming, livable homes rather than construction prototypes.

The Elizabeth, inspired by the English cottage architecture of Altadena’s historic Janes Village, features a contemporary floor plan with bedrooms at the front and an open, vaulted living area connecting to the backyard.

The Lexington, a classic Craftsman-style bungalow, offers a flexible floor plan, generous covered front porch, spacious kitchen and welcoming living spaces.
Both homes include fully finished ADUs with kitchens and living areas, including a separate bedroom in the Lexington property’s ADU, illustrating opportunities for multigenerational living and flexible family needs.

The Tonia Homes are part of a broader rebuilding effort. Foothill Catalog has provided architectural plans for nearly 100 families, including 28 projects with Williams Rebuild. Williams Rebuild is also supporting homeowners with independently developed plans, bringing its broader rebuilding work to more than 50 families.

As the demonstration homes transition into permanent residences for local fire-impacted families, the project continues to demonstrate how thoughtful design, coordinated construction and community partnerships can create a more attainable path to recovery — one that allows Altadena’s people, neighborhoods and architectural character to carry forward for generations.

About the Foothill Catalog Foundation
The Foothill Catalog Foundation (TFCF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded by local residents and design professionals to support the rebuilding of Los Angeles communities following the Eaton and Palisades Fires. TFCF advances preapproved home designs, streamlines permitting pathways and connects homeowners with trusted resources, helping families navigate rebuilding with greater clarity, efficiency and respect for community character.

About the Callahan Family Foundation
The Callahan Family Foundation is a Pasadena-based private philanthropic foundation supporting initiatives in education, human services and community well-being that expand opportunity, resilience and long-term community stability.

About Williams Rebuild
Williams Rebuild is a Southern California rebuilding company focused on helping families recover after wildfire loss. Backed by nearly 30 years of homebuilding experience through Williams & Watt Builders, the team guides homeowners from planning and permitting through construction and return home, helping restore both homes and communities

Erinn Lynch
Blaze PR
erinn@blazepr.com
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