Xochitl Gonzalez

Altadena is just still a very kind of tiny town within a big city.

Altadena is just still a very kind of tiny town within a big city.

It's like a hidden gem in L.A. It's just one of the most striking places that I've ever been to. And yet at the same time, it's utterly unpretentious.

It's like a hidden gem in L.A. It's just one of the most striking places that I've ever been to. And yet at the same time, it's utterly unpretentious.

And then in more recent decades, it's a very, very large Latino population as well. And honestly, it's one of these beautiful communities where really the spectrum of kind of class backgrounds is far more integrated than I've seen anywhere in a long, long time.

And then in more recent decades, it's a very, very large Latino population as well. And honestly, it's one of these beautiful communities where really the spectrum of kind of class backgrounds is far more integrated than I've seen anywhere in a long, long time.

There's a lot of uncertainty about future costs. There's a lot of people that were able to make something work because they were maintaining a home that had been long paid off because it was a multi-generational home. But now they're going to have to take on debt in order to rebuild. There's a lot of fear and a lot of anxiety and a lot of fiscal anxiety. It's so hard to be middle class right now.

There's a lot of uncertainty about future costs. There's a lot of people that were able to make something work because they were maintaining a home that had been long paid off because it was a multi-generational home. But now they're going to have to take on debt in order to rebuild. There's a lot of fear and a lot of anxiety and a lot of fiscal anxiety. It's so hard to be middle class right now.

And usually it doesn't involve a ton of safety net. And I think for people on the margins of poverty, like this is when you start to see a housing crisis and a homelessness crisis become even more acute.

And usually it doesn't involve a ton of safety net. And I think for people on the margins of poverty, like this is when you start to see a housing crisis and a homelessness crisis become even more acute.

Altadena is just still a very kind of tiny town within a big city.

It's like a hidden gem in L.A. It's just one of the most striking places that I've ever been to. And yet at the same time, it's utterly unpretentious.

And then in more recent decades, it's a very, very large Latino population as well. And honestly, it's one of these beautiful communities where really the spectrum of kind of class backgrounds is far more integrated than I've seen anywhere in a long, long time.

There's a lot of uncertainty about future costs. There's a lot of people that were able to make something work because they were maintaining a home that had been long paid off because it was a multi-generational home. But now they're going to have to take on debt in order to rebuild. There's a lot of fear and a lot of anxiety and a lot of fiscal anxiety. It's so hard to be middle class right now.

And usually it doesn't involve a ton of safety net. And I think for people on the margins of poverty, like this is when you start to see a housing crisis and a homelessness crisis become even more acute.