For most Americans, their homes are their prized possessions. That’s why the fires in Los Angeles are so devastating.

At last count, 12,000-plus homes, businesses, schools and other structures have been destroyed in LA. As the Wall Street Journal reports, for so many middle-class homeowners in the Pacific Palisades, Altadena and near Sylmar, their “wealth is now tied up in homes that are now ash.”

Homeownership in the U.S. stands at 65.2%. That’s according to 2024 statistics from industry sources. Massachusetts is close to that mark with 62.3% of residents living in homes they own.

Protecting that investment is the most important conversation couples have. Rents, now being gouged in LA as too many fight over too little stock, factor into all that worry.

That’s why politicians must prioritize helping homeowners. Affordable housing and reasonable rents must take precedence over other initiatives.

This is part of Boston Mayor Michelle Wu’s revised tax-break proposal heading to the City Council before landing back with the state Legislature.

The mayor is hedging her bets by asking for rebates for residents, should lawmakers not back her request to shift more of the tax burden onto businesses by March. The rebate amounts would be subject to approval by the Council and pulled from the city’s rainy day fund — a shift for the administration, per the Boston Policy Institute, which equated them to mid-year budget cuts.

This includes more help for city seniors who are house-poor, basically living in homes worth more than they could ever afford to buy in today’s market.

That’s the terrible truth for fire-ravaged Californians, and it’s also the same plight homeowners in North Carolina and Florida are facing.

The lawmakers forget who pays their salaries. California Gov. Gavin Newsome and LA Mayor Karen Bass failed to do what taxpayers elected them to do: Save homes and businesses first!

What good is a For Sale sign on the smoldering remains of someone’s cherished home?

California is a cautionary tale of what can — and did — go wrong by bypassing common sense for political points. The elected officials from Boston to Brentwood, Calif., can no longer abandon hard-working residents. The stores, restaurants, shops, small businesses, homes, and rental properties will be rebuilt … somehow. But the fire next time must be jettisoning the politicians who ignore warning signs.

Natural disasters often can’t be stopped, but planning and smart budgeting of taxpayer resources must start today.