Effective use of writs of mandate in a crisis: Enforcing housing law after the Eaton Fire

Kira Davis, Whitney O'Byrne, and Nicole Morgan published an article in the Daily Journal inspired by their success securing Settlement Agreements with Los Angeles County and the City of Pasadena on behalf of the Pasadena Tenants’ Union and individual tenant wildfire survivors following the 2025 Eaton Fires in Southern California.

The authors discussed the use of writs of mandate to enforce local governments to inspect the homes of the fire victims and enforce the law after habitability complaints. They wrote, "The wildfire context made writ relief not just appropriate but obvious. The statutory duty to inspect and enforce was not a close call. The harm was not hypothetical or historical; people were being exposed to toxic contaminants in real time, and every week of delay made that worse. Furthermore, whatever remedies tenants might have pursued against their landlords, those actions could not compel a city or county to do its job. Only a writ could do that."

Read the full article (subscription required).