I am hoping to move to Altadena this year and seeking the community's perspective and advice. I have wanted to live in Altadena for many years and was planning to move in 2025. Obviously that was put on hold because of the fires.
Now that I am back to looking at moving more seriously I am feeling some trepidation. I recognize that I will never understand the trauma the people of Altadena experienced and continue to experience, and worry that by moving there I am creating issues for the surviving community. I am not a developer or flipper, I am young and hoping to start a family there and be a long term, very engaged community member, but I can imagine that if the roles were reversed I might not like seeing new people like me move in.
My other main concern are the potential health risks. I am in the privileged position of being able to choose to take a risk and want to recognize that. Does anyone have any resources on what testing to do, what testing companies to use, how often to test, for a house that had post smoke damage remediation?
I also welcome any thoughts or perspectives you would like to share with an "outsider" on integrating into a community that has suffered so much. I would like to think I can navigate the basics of it but know that it is a very unique situation and am very open to hear what the community has to say. Thank you.