Builders Alliance: A New Model for Rebuilding
When the January 2025 wildfires swept through the Palisades and Altadena areas of Los Angeles, the devastation left behind was profound. Families lost the homes they had lived in for decades. Entire neighborhoods were suddenly faced with the long and uncertain journey of rebuilding.
In moments like these, the rebuilding process can feel as overwhelming as the loss itself.
Builders Alliance was formed in response to that challenge, bringing together builders, civic leaders, philanthropic partners and technologists with a shared mission: help families get back home faster, more affordably and with far greater clarity.
Bringing the Vision to Life
Gunn Jerkens’ involvement with Builders Alliance began early in the effort, when we were brought in to support the initiative as it began to take shape. Working alongside a core group of builders and innovators, we helped shape the positioning, language, communication style, branding and the website that would ultimately house the Builders Alliance homeowner portal.
As Jennifer Stoddard, SVP of Gunn Jerkens, mentioned, projects like this remind us that what we do goes well beyond traditional marketing.
“In the case of Builders Alliance, that meant developing messaging and a digital experience grounded in a deep understanding of what these families are going through, as well as shaping the website interface to guide them to helpful information in the most seamless way possible.”
From the start, the focus was not only on rebuilding homes, but on rethinking the rebuilding process itself. Every element of the experience was designed to make the journey clearer and more approachable for homeowners navigating an already incredibly difficult process.
The goal was to create something intuitive, supportive and easy to use. A place where families could find trusted builders, understand their options and proceed with more certainty.
The guiding principle quickly became clear and direct: Make it simple.
A Turnkey Path Forward for Homeowners
For families who lost their homes in the Palisades and Eaton fires, rebuilding can feel overwhelming. Builders Alliance was designed to streamline that journey by providing a centralized place where homeowners can explore options, understand pricing and connect with participating builders.
The platform allows homeowners to review floor plans tailored to their parcel, visualize how a home could fit on their property and compare builders side-by-side before taking the next step.
More importantly, the Builders Alliance portal itself does not build homes or promote specific builders. Instead, it acts as a neutral connector designed to bring clarity and transparency to the rebuilding process.
“Our goal from the very beginning was to take what’s typically an overwhelming, piecemeal process and make it simple, centralized and empowering,” said founding CEO Bea Hsu.
The platform helps answer the most basic question homeowners face after losing everything: Where do I even start?
Technology That Streamlines Rebuilding
At the center of the initiative is the Builders Alliance homeowner portal, a digital platform designed to simplify communication and coordination between homeowners and participating builders.
The technology powering the portal is remarkable. Homeowners can enter their address and immediately see home plans compatible with their lot, zoning requirements and budget. The system uses advanced mapping technology and local building regulations to filter options, helping families explore realistic rebuilding paths without navigating a maze of disconnected information.
As Adrian Foley, President and CEO of Brookfield Residential, noted in early coverage of the effort, the goal has always been to make rebuilding more accessible and coordinated for families navigating an already complex process.
“The Builders Alliance offers fire victims a way to rebuild expeditiously and cost-effectively through the combined market power and capacities of homeowners and homebuilders,” Foley said.
Instead of navigating multiple contractors, architects and permitting pathways independently, the portal provides a more structured starting point and helps homeowners move forward with greater confidence.
A Powerful Public and Private Partnership
One of the most compelling aspects of Builders Alliance is the cooperation behind it.
The effort itself grew out of Project Recovery, a collaboration between the Urban Land Institute, UCLA Ziman Center for Real Estate and USC Lusk Center for Real Estate that brought together more than 100 industry leaders to develop solutions for post-disaster housing recovery.
The initiative represents a unique partnership between the private sector, technology leaders and public agencies working toward a shared goal. Builders bring the expertise needed to rebuild homes. Technology partners provide the digital infrastructure to simplify the process. Public leaders help align policies and priorities so recovery can move forward more efficiently.
Together, these groups are demonstrating what is possible when industries align around a common mission.
Rather than working in parallel, Builders Alliance brings them into a coordinated effort designed to support homeowners in a meaningful way.
A Model That Could Shape the Future
While Builders Alliance was born out of tragedy, its long-term implications may extend well beyond the Palisades and Eaton fire zones.
This initiative reflects a growing recognition that rebuilding after disasters requires new models of collaboration between builders, civic leaders and technology partners. By coordinating resources and streamlining information, Builders Alliance is demonstrating how communities can recover more efficiently while still maintaining choice and transparency for homeowners.
In many ways, what Builders Alliance is shaping is not just a pathway for rebuilding homes. It is helping create a new framework for how communities respond to large-scale housing loss in the future.