Anthony Ruffin, a dedicated anti-homelessness campaigner, is now living on the streets after his family home in Altadena, California, was destroyed by the Eaton Fire.
The house, which his father purchased in 1972, was lost in the devastating wildfires that have torn through Los Angeles, destroying over 12,000 structures and claiming at least 24 lives.
Ruffin said he was left heartbroken over losing the home where he grew up and later bought from his parents. Ruffin and his wife, Jonni Miller, both social workers with the homeless community, were forced to evacuate their home on January 8 due to the Eaton Fire, leaving behind valuable family heirlooms.
“It’s terrible,” he told the LA Times through tears this week.
Ruffin, a former Housing Works employee and current County Department of Health Services worker on Skid Row, became well-known for his dedication to helping California’s homeless community find housing, often working weekends and nights.
Despite losing everything in the fires, he and his wife, Jonni Miller, are already back to work, determined to help those even more vulnerable than themselves.
“I gotta meet up with somebody today who’s homeless and try to help him get into housing,” he said. “I also did that on Friday. I gotta help somebody, every day… I got my own problems, but I’m fortunate.
“So many of the people down there on Skid Row are dealing with addiction and homelessness and don’t have some of the resources I have. I mean, I got a motel room right now, and they don’t have that.”
Ruffin and his wife set up a GoFundMe this week to help rebuild their lives after losing everything in the Eaton Fire. However, they intend to share the funds with their neighbors, as their entire street was destroyed in the blaze.
“We are fortunate to have made it to safety with our dog and one of our cats. Sadly, we lost one cat and two of our chickens in the fire, in addition to our home.
“My home was purchased by my father in 1972 on that side of Altadena because African Americans were only allowed to live on that side. With a low-paying job and hard work, my father was able to secure that home.
“I don’t want to lose the home that my parents worked so hard for.”
He said losing the home a week ago was gut-wrenching as he “worked two jobs to hold onto that property, because I knew how much it meant to my family.”
“We really fixed the house up and got it looking really decent.”
Ruffin said his mother and stepfather, aged 76 and 83, were “devastated” by the loss of their home in the fire, adding that they “can’t stop crying” over the destruction.
In a Facebook post this week sharing the fundraiser, Ruffin’s wife Jonni said her family had been “trying to manage this tragedy privately,” but admitted “we are human and need some help.”
“We will gladly welcome any support and love you are able to send our way…be it $5, prayers or positive vibes. With all our hearts, thank you.”
The last significant rainfall in downtown Los Angeles was in May 2024.
Climatologist Bill Patzert told the outlet that “the past nine months has been one of the driest in the historical record going back to 1900. During my career, I’ve never seen punishing Santa Ana events so overwhelm the normal winter rain season.”
