Uplifters Foundation operates a structured, programmatic housing platform designed to rebuild Pacific Palisades following the January 2025 wildfire.
The program is not a traditional real estate development. It is a nonprofit, capital-backed execution model that combines institutional discipline with a charitable mandate.
At its core, the program does four things:
The objective is straightforward: return families to the community at scale, with a defined path to ownership.
Within a defined set of streets in Pacific Palisades, using approximately $200 million of tax-exempt bond financing.
Capital is returned through asset conversion — sale of completed homes. Not dependent on long-term rental income or market appreciation.
The program is limited to a specific set of streets where parcel density supports scaled rebuilding, site conditions are feasible, and acquisition pricing aligns with program economics.
A map and full list of these streets are publicly disclosed to provide transparency into program scope.
This is a selection-driven process, not a volume-driven one.
6–8 architectural plans, each adaptable to lot dimensions, site conditions, and neighborhood context. Balances cost efficiency through repetition with flexibility for individual lots.
3–4 bedrooms. 3–4 bathrooms. Two-story configuration. The objective is to deliver the most attainable new single-family homes in the Palisades rebuild.
Guaranteed Maximum Price contracts with multiple general contractors. Caps cost risk. Distributes execution. Independent Owner's Representative oversees performance, cost, and schedule.
Resilience is not optional. It is embedded in the design.
This directly addresses one of the primary barriers to rebuilding. Each home is designed to qualify for coverage under the California FAIR Plan with supplemental insurance, ensuring that buyers can obtain financing.
All homes are initially leased prior to sale. This is required to comply with tax-exempt bond financing and is a functional component of the program.
Eligible buyers receive approximately 3%–5% of the purchase price as a closing credit. Uniform, non-discretionary, and based on objective displacement criteria.
Homes purchased with assistance are subject to a five-year owner-occupancy requirement and repayment of assistance upon early resale.
These provisions are designed to prevent speculation, preserve program integrity, and ensure long-term community benefit.
The program is financed through approximately $200 million of tax-exempt bonds. No developer equity. No promote structure. No profit extraction prior to repayment.
Tax-exempt bonds. 100% deployed into land, construction, and carrying costs.
All disbursements controlled through a third-party agent. No discretionary spending.
Reserved until early projects validate acquisition cost, construction, and sale pricing.
Capital returned through home sales. Not dependent on yield or market appreciation.
This program is intentionally simple in concept and complex in execution. It replaces fragmented rebuilding, individual risk, and uncertain timelines with centralized coordination, disciplined capital deployment, and predictable delivery.