Background
In January 2025, Los Angeles County experienced one of its most severe natural disasters in recent memory–a combination of destructive wildfires and hurricane-force Santa Ana winds. Entire neighborhoods were damaged or destroyed, displacing residents and shuttering small businesses. As workers lost income and storefronts closed, regional government leaders had to act fast to support those most affected.
With limited federal relief available, the LA County Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) and the LA City Economic and Workforce Development Department (EWDD) partnered with AidKit to quickly establish a targeted disaster relief system. Together, they launched two programs within weeks: one offering $2,000 grants to impacted workers and another providing $2,000 to $25,000 grants to small businesses based on verified damages. This rapid, tech-enabled response prioritized both speed and equity in a time of crisis.
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Partnership Wins:
1. A system to apply for relief deployed in under two weeks
AidKit worked closely with regional authorities to build and launch an application system on an accelerated timeline, enabling intake and eligibility screening soon after funding was approved. AidKit recognized that, in this time of crisis, LA’s DEO and EWDD needed an adaptable partner to help serve a range of target populations as the relief fund evolved. The system was designed to scale alongside the program, accommodating new eligibility tiers, documentation types, and outreach strategies as community needs and funding grew. From the start, the agencies and AidKit were able to track, in real time, how many applicants were eligible and where they landed on the map— providing clear visibility into the scale of need as applications came in.
2. Map dashboards streamlined verification and targeted outreach
Custom-built geospatial dashboards allowed regional authorities to overlay applicant data with fire evacuation zones, damage severity tiers, and Cal Fire perimeters—all in one system.Unlike traditional processes, there was no need to export, reformat, or reimport data across platforms. The mapped data was seamlessly integrated into the eligibility review process, enabling faster verification and helping prioritize applicants located within eligible zones.
“Another benefit of the mapping is identifying pockets where eligible people haven’t applied,” said Kelly LoBianco, Director of LA County DEO. “We can see that underlying Cal Fire data where there should be applications. It’s been helping us do really targeted outreach.”
3. Mapping helped unlock additional funding
“By mapping the pre-review eligibility data from applicants, the County could project the number of individuals and businesses in need. That mapping helped raise additional funding to grow the pot from an initial $2 million to more than $20 million.”
(Route Fifty – How LA is Using Tech to Get Wildfire Victims Financial Help, March 2025)
4. Identity verification enhanced by AI and supported by human review
LA local agencies used AidKit’s identity verification tools to confirm applicant identity through document and biometric checks without relying on knowledge-based questions. The approach was informed by NIST Identity Assurance Level (IAL) guidelines—a federal standard for balancing identity security and accessibility in public programs. This enabled fast, secure verification even for applicants without traditional IDs or those who lost documentation in the fires. The system also incorporated in-person attestation through trusted community partners, enabling people whose documentation was lost in the fires to verify their identity face-to-face, further expanding access while maintaining program integrity. The identity review process was enhanced by AI technology but always included human reviewers to ensure applicants were treated fairly and transparently.
5. Effective fraud prevention without sacrificing accessibility
Fraud risk is a known challenge in emergency relief programs, where urgency and high applicant volume can create vulnerabilities. LA regional authorities and AidKit anticipated this risk and implemented layered safeguards to protect program integrity. AidKit’s fraud prevention approach combined AI-enhanced identity verification, geospatial data analysis, and human review—allowing the team to detect and prevent a significant volume of ineligible and fraudulent applications without creating unnecessary barriers for legitimate applicants.
6.Grant amounts aligned to verified damages
AidKit’s system incorporated damage severity data directly from inspectors, enabling LA’s DEO and EWDD to offer tiered grants based on verified impact. Mapping platforms visualized this information in real time, supporting both applicant verification and strategic decision-making.
“We know who completely lost their brick-and-mortar business. We know who lost their job because they worked in a residence that burned down… We have a lot of really dynamic data that not only will help us get grants to those that need the most but will also help us better understand the true economic impact of this crisis… to design recovery solutions for the communities.”
— Kelly LoBianco, LA County DEO
7.Simple, accessible application experience
The platform was designed with plain-language content, responsive design, and multilingual support—ensuring accessibility even for applicants navigating trauma.
“You need a clean and simple application that people can understand, that’s written at a level that people, especially in crisis, can go through simply, and you need really robust outreach and technical assistance.”
—Kelly LoBianco, LA County DEO
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Impact Highlights
- Application system launched in under 2 weeks
- $2,000 grants for impacted workers
- $2,000 to $25,000 grants for small businesses based on verified damages
- Relief fund scaled from $2M to $20M+, driven by real-time applicant data that helped regional authorities demonstrate growing community need and secure additional funding
- Map data fed directly into review workflows— no importing or exporting needed
- In-person identity verification available for applicants who lost documentation
- Fraud detection protocols successfully identified and stopped ineligible and fraudulent applications
Technology in Action
AidKit’s platform brought together geospatial mapping, AI-enhanced identity verification, and real-time review tools to power the LA region’s disaster relief system. The interactive map dashboards gave the DEO visibility into:
- Fire impact zones and evacuation orders
- Severity-based applicant tiers
- Gaps in outreach based on Cal Fire overlays
- Verified applicant locations linked to business losses or home damage
- Inspector-submitted data tied directly to grant decisions
This real-time intelligence was especially helpful for LA’s DEO and EWDD in understanding program gaps, scaling the fund, and ensuring resources reached the communities most affected—all while maintaining a strong fraud prevention posture.
The Bigger Picture
LA’s regional wildfire relief effort demonstrated how modern infrastructure and cross-sector partnership can turn a high-stakes emergency into an opportunity to strengthen public service delivery.
“By using geospatial data and artificial intelligence to help verify identities and pinpoint areas of greatest need, LA County and AidKit were able to streamline the aid process.”
(Route Fifty – How LA is Using Tech to Get WildfireVictims Financial Help, March 2025)
The approach was replicable, equitable, and scalable, laying the groundwork for future rapid-response efforts that do not sacrifice accountability or accessibility. It also showed that it is possible to move quickly while protecting public dollars through proactive, technology-enabled fraud prevention strategies that maintain program integrity.
Looking Ahead
Now, LA County is working to formalize this kind of permanent response infrastructure so future programs can launch even faster.
“I think we did a great job of finding AidKit, bringing them on board, getting contracts done, but there is a lag in doing that,” said LoBianco.“You have some of that in place in advance, then you’re just focusing on the audience and the application and fundraising, not the operational mechanics.”
By investing in flexible infrastructure and community-informed design, LA’s DEO andEWDD and AidKit are showing what is possible when governments prioritize both speed and dignity.
