The pace at which rebuilding permits for fire-ravaged properties that were damaged or destroyed during January’s brush fires is a source of concern for the communities affected.
It’s been six months since the Eaton and Palisades fires ripped through Altadena and Pacific Palisades. Since then, unincorporated Los Angeles County has received 1,207 rebuild applications, but only 90 permits have been issued. The Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety reported receiving rebuilding applications for 360 addresses affected by the Palisades Fire. Of those, 70 addresses have received permits.
“If you look at what the county and city have done together, it’s still a tiny fraction of the total number of homes that were lost,” said Richard Green, Director of USC’s Lusk Center for Real Estate.
“The permitting process in Los Angeles, even a fast-tracked is complicated by American standards,” Green said. “The median time to get a permit in Dallas is eight days.”
Meanwhile, according to LA County, the average length of time it took to get one of the 90 rebuilding permits issued was 51 days.
“We’re still moving it down, but it’s still unacceptable,” LA County Supervisor Kathryn Barger said.
On Monday, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order to fast-track the rebuilding of schools and homes impacted by the fires by suspending local building codes and permitting laws.
More than 16,000 structures were destroyed in the fires, including homes, schools and businesses. Roughly 150,000 people were displaced earlier in the year due to the disasters.