Only four rebuilding permits issued since LA fires: Report

• Two months after wildfires devastated Los Angeles, only four rebuilding permits have been issued. At a city council meeting, council member Traci Park expressed concern over the slow rebuilding process, citing potential systemic issues.
• Mayor Karen Bass signed an executive order to expedite the rebuilding process, prioritizing all-electric homes.
• Gov. Gavin Newsom acknowledged challenges in meeting housing goals, blaming high interest rates and local government obstacles. He later signed another executive order to speed up infrastructure repairs in fire-damaged areas.

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Reports indicate that two months after wildfires devastated Los Angeles, killing 29 people, scorching more than 16,000 structures and destroying over 37,000 acres of land, authorities have issued only four rebuilding permits.

Residents look for answers

At a city council committee meeting on Tuesday, March 25, residents from the Pacific Palisades showed up looking for answers, local KABC-7 reports.

Los Angeles City Council member Traci Park told KABC that the issuance of only four rebuilding permits is concerning.

“When I hear in the community meeting like we had today that only four permits have been issued, and we’re on day 75 post-fire, that is concerning to me, and I don’t think it’s a lack of interest in rebuilding,” Park said. “I suspect it is indicative of systemic issues that we need to continue to focus on.”

What have city officials said?

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, who is facing a recall effort, signed an executive order on March 21 to “help Palisades residents expedite the rebuilding of their homes and businesses.”

The order states that city departments will “streamline permitting for owners who rebuild all-electric, more fire-resistant homes.”

This means residents who rebuild without using natural gas, such as without gas stoves, ovens, or heaters, would have priority in rebuilding their homes faster.

“Getting residents home quickly and safely is my top priority — and we must rebuild with an eye toward the future,” Mayor Bass said in a statement.

The order also notes that workers are moving phase two of the debris removal process at a historic pace and have already completed it at “hundreds of properties.”

Authorities cannot issue permits to rebuild until workers remove all the debris.

What has Gov. Newsom said?

Meanwhile, New York Times opinion columnist Ezra Klein appeared on California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s podcast Wednesday, March 26, and asked him why it’s easier to build in states like Texas or Florida.

Newsom blamed local governments.

He revealed that his administration’s goal was to build 2.5 million new housing units in the state by 2030.

• Klein: “So you’re not on track for that?”
• Newsom: “Not even close.”
• Klein: “Why?”
• Newsom: “Well, for a number of reasons. Macroeconomic. I think you have to be fair as it relates to the realities of what just occurred, as it relates to the constraints around the markets.”
• Klein: “You’re saying the interest rates are high?”
• Newsom: “Interest rates are high, obviously. We came out of a very difficult period during COVID. But fundamentally, because of the inability of local government to get out of the way and allow for more construction.”

One day after this podcast, Newsom signed another executive order related to rebuilding Los Angeles after the fires.

According to a press release, the order expedites repairs and replacements of electric, gas, water, sewer and telecom infrastructure in fire-damaged communities. It also accelerates the “undergrounding” of utility equipment to help communities recover faster and build resilience against future catastrophic fires.

Los Angeles City Councilmember Traci Park told KABC that the city is facing hundreds of billions of dollars in lost revenue due to business losses, calling the situation “a mess.”