Thousands of people fled the Ridge November 8, 2018. In one day the population of the neighboring City of Chico exploded. In terms of shelter, Chico was already in a housing crisis before the fire, now that’s been exacerbated as those who were displaced search for any type of dwelling to live in that they can find.
Ed Mayer is the Executive Director of the Housing Authority of the County Of Butte. NSPR’s Sarah Bohannon spoke with him to find out more about the current housing crisis and about vacancy rates before the fire.