Kennedy Zak is an award-winning journalist at the Los Angeles Business Journal, bringing deep expertise in economics, housing, local government, and wildfire recovery—especially her powerful series on the Altadena and Pasadena fires. With bylines across outlets like the Glendale News-Press, Burbank Leader, Dallas Morning News, and Annenberg Media, she blends nimble reporting with thoughtful insight. Zak’s storytelling highlights how financial hardship, policy shifts, and community resilience intersect—a perspective rooted in rigorous reporting and local context. Whether unpacking insurance shortfalls or examining recovery systems in crisis, she brings clarity, compassion, and a sharp lens to the evolving challenges of Southern California.

In this episode, Jan and Kennedy discuss:

• Kennedy’s journey into journalism and her focus on real estate and housing in LA
• Southern California’s affordability crisis and generational housing challenges
• Insurance shortfalls are hitting homeowners after the Altadena and Pasadena fires
• Cost-cutting rebuilds solutions like economies of scale, modular housing, and AI design
• How community leadership, partnerships, and government shape recovery

Key Takeaways: 

• Kennedy Zak uses her journalist’s perspective to connect the dots between finance, politics, and community issues in the housing crisis. Her reporting highlights how these forces intertwine to shape Los Angeles’ future.
• The Altadena and Pasadena fires exposed billion-dollar insurance gaps, leaving families with staggering rebuild shortfalls of $300,000 to $900,000 each. This financial strain has become one of the greatest obstacles to recovery.
• Cutting-edge building methods are offering hope—modular construction, AI-driven design, and bulk neighborhood contracting are helping bring per-square-foot costs down. These approaches could redefine what affordable rebuilding looks like.
• Surprisingly, neighbors have emerged as the most trusted leaders in recovery efforts. Community-driven organizing has proven just as critical as institutional guidance in keeping rebuilding momentum alive.
• Moving forward, collaboration between public agencies, private finance, and local organizations may be the key to success. Creative solutions like rebuilding credit lines and hybrid housing models could fill critical gaps while addressing LA’s broader housing needs.

“Home ownership currently in LA County is at a 53-year low, and only about 45% of residents own the home that they're living in. A lot of the people I've been speaking with, that is their focus. But I do know that there's a lot of lots being built and people who just want to cut their losses and move on, rather than go through this kind of uncertain process.”

- Kennedy Zak

Kennedy Zak’s wildfire articles:

• https://labusinessjournal.com/featured/homes-made-by-robots/ (August)
• https://labusinessjournal.com/real-estate/research-fire-displacement-hits-westside-oc/  (August)
• https://labusinessjournal.com/real-estate/builder-altadena-residents-unite /  (August)
• https://labusinessjournal.com/real-estate/case-study-2-0-mission-to-rebuild/  (July)
• https://labusinessjournal.com/featured/how-effectively-will-calassist-help/  (June)

Connect with Kennedy Zak:

Website: https://www.kennedyzak.com/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kennedy-zak-0a03aa1a9/ 

Connect with Jan Brzeski:

Website: https://scipfinance.com/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jbrzeski/ 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RebuildingLAafterthefires

Email: [email protected] 

Show notes by Podcastologist: Angelo Paul Tagama

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.