Real estate mogul Mauricio Umansky said officials in California need to work with the federal government in order to help people in areas devastated by wildfires rebuild, and that this is not the time to fight with President Trump.
“This is the time to put politics aside and get Los Angeles rebuilt,” Umansky told FOX Business. “This is not the time for our state government to be political and . . . start being against Trump.”
Umansky’s luxury real estate company, The Agency, represents a portfolio of homes and properties for sale around the world. However, many of its clients are within the areas hardest hit by the wildfires that ignited earlier this month across Los Angeles County.
TRUMP WANTS TO FIX THE HOUSING AFFORDABILITY CRISIS: WHAT IT WILL TAKE
Umansky said the situation is dire for families who have lost everything.
His agents, some of whom have lost their own homes, have been working around the clock to find everyone a place to go. But it’s been far from easy.
“One of the most difficult things is that there’s 10 applicants for every one house, and so nine get rejected,” he said. “When you think about that, and these are all people who lost their homes, so . . . their depression is insane.”
Umansky said people are relocating around the city, and that many of them want to stay close to home. However, there are a slew of others who are going up north or leaving the state.
“We’ve displaced thousands and thousands of people. And so it’s going to be very difficult,” he said.
Umansky said it’s still too early to understand what things will look like in regard to how people are going to rebuild, but he knows governments on the state and federal levels are going to need to work together to do it.
TRUMP TO VISIT CALIFORNIA AFTER RIPPING ‘IDIOT’ NEWSOM ON WILDFIRE; CRITICS BASH CRIME, HOMELESSNESS, SPENDING
“We’re looking for answers. I don’t think that the government has done a good-enough job alerting people in terms of what things are going to look like,” he said, adding that residents are still struggling to understand how they are going to get insurance.
Firefighters have been battling destructive Southern California blazes for weeks, and more keep igniting.
They need to get their egos aside, the politics aside,” he said. “We’re going to need federal money. We’re going to need state money.
The Hughes Fire, which was first reported on Wednesday morning, was located in the unincorporated community of Castaic in northwestern Los Angeles County. It quickly spread due to aggressive winds that have plagued firefighting efforts.
Since the wildfires began on Jan. 7, California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Trump have been at odds. Newsom has faced sharp criticism over the state’s response to the Los Angeles fires. The California governor embraced Trump on the tarmac at Los Angeles International Airport on Friday after the president stepped off Air Force One.
Newsom has also denounced Trump’s criticism, telling NBC News’ “Meet The Press” earlier this month that “Mis- and disinformation don’t help any of us.” Meanwhile, Trump, a longtime critic of California’s government, recently lashed out, going as far as suggesting that California might not receive federal aid unless it changes certain policies, including its water management.
While Newsom signed a relief package providing $2.5 billion for recovery efforts as fires continue to sweep across parts of Southern California, Umansky said there is “no question,” that the state is going to need federal assistance, too.
“They need to get their egos aside, the politics aside,” he said. “We’re going to need federal money. We’re going to need state money.”
The state must not fight Trump, he said.
“When I say not fight him, I mean . . . he’s going to have ideas. We’re going to need the federal government’s help. Like, there’s no question about that,” he said.
Fox News’ Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.
Read the full article here