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10/14/2026

Seniors at Whittier Downs Mobile Home Park say they're getting by on Social Security as their rent keeps going up.

They own their mobile homes, but rent the land underneath them. Moving is costly, and selling is hard.

One resident says it comes down to selling at a loss or staying and not being able to pay the full rent.

Full story in comments.

Story by Emma Galvan
Video by Jasper Belson

In August 2025, the Whittier City Council committed $180,000 for immigration relief. More than a year later, the public ...
10/14/2026

In August 2025, the Whittier City Council committed $180,000 for immigration relief. More than a year later, the public record shows little about who it reached.

That included $65,000 each for two nonprofits, the Hispanic Outreach Taskforce (HOT) and the Interfaith Food Center (IFC). It also set aside $50,000 for immigration legal services.

The City gave the money as “donations.” No contract or memorandum of understanding (MOU) appears in the records we reviewed.

The Council directed City staff to give monthly public updates on the effort, but at the same time, it did not require HOT or IFC to report monthly to the City. The last time the City shared spending figures publicly was November 2025. After that, updates became more general, and the last update was in March 2026.

The records also don’t show whether the $50,000 for legal services was ever spent.

It's been seven months since the last public update, though updates were required monthly. Now, councilmembers and community groups are asking for reports.

We spoke with HOT about the program’s progress and challenges. HOT says their micro-grant initiative is still active for qualifying families. IFC did not respond to our request for comment.

Full story below.

The Design Review Board takes up The Laurels again tomorrow, October 8. The project would build 146 three-story condos a...
10/07/2026

The Design Review Board takes up The Laurels again tomorrow, October 8.

The project would build 146 three-story condos at the southeast corner of The Quad. The site now holds the empty Burlington and Staples buildings, other vacant retail, and a parking garage.

At the September 10 hearing, the board voted to continue the hearing so the developer could work with city staff on design concerns, according to the city's agenda report.

Concerns included building colors, Craftsman-style details, and the flat look of some buildings. They also asked about the Starbuck Street buildings, which back up to existing homes.

Some of the developer's proposed changes include:

-Expand the color palette from two schemes to four
-Change the Starbuck Street building from Contemporary to Craftsman style
-Flip balconies on that building to face away from neighboring homes

Traffic and parking concerns are outside this design board's authority. Staff says they'll go to the Planning Commission on October 19.

How to attend:
-4 p.m., City Hall Council Chamber, 13230 Penn Street.
-Join by Zoom or call (669) 900-9128, Meeting ID 846 9510 5206.
-Email comments to [email protected] before 2:30 p.m. on Thursday.

The city's Planning Commission is voting this Monday on whether to approve 9 three-story townhomes, all for sale. Plus 1...
09/19/2026

The city's Planning Commission is voting this Monday on whether to approve 9 three-story townhomes, all for sale. Plus 1 small backyard ADU that is tied to one of the units.

The project site will demolish existing homes at 13444 and 13448 Camilla Street in Uptown Whittier to build the project.
Those houses were built in the early 1900s.

But the developer’s historic study found that none of them qualifies for state or local historic designation, and a reviewer hired by the city agreed.

Down the street is Hoover Elementary School, and across the street sits the Jonathan Bailey House, one of Whittier's oldest landmarks.

City staff is recommending the commission approve it. If the Planning Commission approves it on Monday, this moves forward. Unless someone appeals it or a council member asks to review it, then it won't go be discussed any further.

If you have questions, concerns, or comments, you have until Monday, September 21 at 4:30pm to submit by email at [email protected]

Or you can attend in person at City Hall on Monday, or participate by Zoom. The meeting starts at 6pm.

A developer wants to build 21 townhomes at 11428 Shoemaker Ave in South Whittier, replacing a single-family home and a c...
09/15/2026

A developer wants to build 21 townhomes at 11428 Shoemaker Ave in South Whittier, replacing a single-family home and a closed plant nursery.

Zoning on this 0.8-acre lot normally allows 15 units. The developer is using a state density bonus law to add six more, in exchange for setting aside three affordable homes.

To make the extra units fit, they're asking LA County to waive 9 development standards, including cutting required guest parking from 7 spaces down to just 2.

The project also skipped environmental review entirely, using a 2025 state law that exempts many infill housing projects from study.

The LA County Regional Planning Commission votes October 7. Here's how the public can weigh in first:

Written comments are accepted until noon October 6. Speak at the hearing in person or by Zoom on October 7 at 9 a.m.

Full story below 👇

The brush fire in La Habra Heights, near the Whittier border, has damaged or destroyed at least four structures and inju...
09/15/2026

The brush fire in La Habra Heights, near the Whittier border, has damaged or destroyed at least four structures and injured two people, including one firefighter, fire officials say.

The Palos Fire broke out around 2:30 p.m. Monday and burned nearly 20 acres within an hour. As of 4:48 p.m., it was 41% contained, and crews had stopped its forward progress, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

Homes were evacuated, with residents directed to Los Altos High School in Hacienda Heights.

The cause is under investigation. The extent of the injuries has not been released.

Source: ABC7
Photo: Puente Hills Habitat Preservation Authority

As of 3pm on Monday: Fire in the hills. Download the Watch Duty app for updates.Update 320pm: 10 acres burning. Resident...
09/14/2026

As of 3pm on Monday: Fire in the hills.

Download the Watch Duty app for updates.

Update 320pm: 10 acres burning. Residents on Casalero, Ardsheal & W Skyline are advised to evacuate, per the City of La Habra Heights.

Update 335pm: 20 acres burning.

Update 448pm: Forward progression of the fire has been stopped, and the fire is 41% contained per Incident Command.

There's a grave in Whittier connected to a federal fraud case that just wrapped up.Carlos Ramon Obregon was 14 when he w...
09/14/2026

There's a grave in Whittier connected to a federal fraud case that just wrapped up.

Carlos Ramon Obregon was 14 when he was killed in a drive-by shooting in LA back in 1977. He's been resting at Rose Hills Memorial Park ever since.

In 2000, a man started using his name, his Social Security number, and his birth certificate. He collected nearly $284,000 in government benefits over 25 years.

A judge sentenced the man in August. His fingerprints didn't match anyone on record, and in court, he's only ever been called "the defendant." His real identity has never been confirmed.

Full story below 👇

A year ago, La Serna's girls wrestling team had no proper uniforms, no practice space of its own, and no program built ...
09/11/2026

A year ago, La Serna's girls wrestling team had no proper uniforms, no practice space of its own, and no program built for them. They even trained alongside the boys' team, on the boys' schedule.

So a group of parents started a nonprofit booster club, found their own coach, and began reaching out to the Whittier community for support.

Families who had never considered wrestling for their daughters started showing up.

Today, the team has grown from 6 athletes to 17, with a new season starting in November.

Girls wrestling is one of the fastest-growing high school sports in the country, and California has more girls on the mat than any other state.

Full story 👇

146 three-story condos are proposed to take over the southeast corner of The Quad, where the empty Burlington and Staple...
09/04/2026

146 three-story condos are proposed to take over the southeast corner of The Quad, where the empty Burlington and Staples buildings sit, along with the other stretch of vacant retail and the parking garage.

The development is called The Laurels. The application was filed more than a year ago. This is residents' first real look at what's planned.

The project neighbors single-family homes. The condos range from two to four bedrooms. Amenities include a dog run, reading nook, community garden, and a walking path connecting to The Quad.

Every unit gets a two-car garage, some are tandem style.

The upcoming Design Review Board hearing only covers what the buildings look like. The bigger decisions, like whether the project moves forward, go to the Planning Commission later.

Want to comment about it?

The Design Review Board meets September 10 at 4 p.m. at City Hall Council Chamber, 13230 Penn Street.

You can also join by Zoom or call in.

Full story below 👇

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