UCLA donates space at UCLA Research Park for disaster recovery center run by FEMA, local and state agencies

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UCLA continued to expand the scope of its support for fire relief and recovery efforts throughout the Los Angeles region today, opening space at its UCLA Research Park property, a site formerly occupied by the Westside Pavilion shopping mall, for use as a disaster recovery center serving impacted residents on the city's west side.

The new recovery center, at the west end of 10850 Pico Blvd., is operated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and houses federal, state and local government agencies and nonprofits providing an array of services - from assistance applying for disaster relief loans and accessing mental health resources to help replacing lost or destroyed documents like birth certificates and passports.

The center opened today at 1 p.m. and will be fully operational by Wednesday, Jan. 15, serving the community from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week.

"The safety and well-being of the Los Angeles community remains our priority. We are committed to working with first responders and disaster relief agencies to support their work and leverage our resources to support those in need," said UCLA Chancellor Julio Frenk. "We have seen the vast challenges that members of our Bruin family and our surrounding community have faced due to the fires, and we are grateful to be supporting FEMA and aiding our neighbors."

The disaster recovery center at the UCLA Research Park is one of two set up in the wake of the fires, with the other located at Pasadena City College. The new site was prepared quickly, in less than two days, by UCLA staff and government workers to house some 70 government agency and nonprofit stations offering support.

In addition to FEMA, the site includes Los Angeles city and county departments and agencies focused on housing, economic development, public health, children and family services, homelessness, disability services, animal services, property taxes and other areas. Among the nonprofits represented are the Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity, Team Rubicon and the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation.

FEMA and city and county staff members are on hand to help residents navigate the options available. For more information on the services at UCLA Research Park, visit the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services website.

The 700,000-square-foot UCLA Research Park property was acquired by UCLA in January 2024, The university is in the process of transforming the empty shopping mall site into a massive research park, with an initial focus on immunotherapy and quantum science.

The launch of the disaster recovery center is just one of many ways in which UCLA is stepping up to assist the broader community, as well as students, faculty and staff. The recently launched Bruin Wildfire Relief Funds, for example, provide support to fire-impacted Bruins - including emergency housing, meal vouchers and other help.

UCLA Health's Homeless Healthcare Collaborative is bringing medical care to displaced fire victims, and dentistry students and others have mobilized to supply to fire-impacted residents with essential relief items.

In addition, the UCLA Volunteer Center continues to connect the campus community to local volunteering opportunities and is working directly with UCLA College Corps to provide 500 emergency packages for UCLA community members in need, while the UCLA Registrar's Office is offering free diploma replacement for alumni who may have lost their diplomas in the fires.

For more on how the UCLA community can offer help and receive help, visit this Newsroom page.

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