{"id":78685,"date":"2025-07-20T18:48:23","date_gmt":"2025-07-20T18:48:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/78685\/"},"modified":"2025-07-20T18:48:23","modified_gmt":"2025-07-20T18:48:23","slug":"la-wildfire-victims-building-adus-as-first-step-in-home-rebuilding-process-orange-county-register","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/78685\/","title":{"rendered":"LA wildfire victims building ADUs as first step in home rebuilding process \u2013 Orange County Register"},"content":{"rendered":"

Woefully underinsured, an Altadena retiree ponders building a tiny house at the back of his yard to replace the three-bedroom home he lost in the January firestorms<\/a>.<\/p>\n

His insurance would pay, at most, just a third of the cost to replace the 78-year-old house he shared for almost three decades with his wife.<\/p>\n

The only way to get back home and preserve the generational wealth he\u2019s created for his heirs could be a casita or a granny flat<\/a>, or as city planners call it, an accessory dwelling unit<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m definitely thinking we\u2019re going to build an ADU,\u201d said Martin Gordon, using the familiar acronym for these secondary home structures. \u201cThere\u2019s no way I could afford to build a house.\u201d<\/p>\n

L.A. wildfires\u2019 economic toll: <\/b>Devastating losses followed by burst of building<\/a><\/p>\n

Across the Eaton and Palisades burn zones<\/a>, more displaced families are considering ADUs as a way to get back to their land quicker and more cheaply.<\/p>\n

For some, it\u2019s a place to live before insurance money for rent runs out<\/a>. Others see it as a temporary shelter while they design and finance construction of their replacement houses.<\/p>\n

State and local leaders see them as a way to hold shattered communities together, easing restrictions and expediting approvals to encourage more ADU construction<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cADUs are generally regarded as one of the most cost-effective ways to bring new housing online,\u201d L.A. County Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger said. \u201cIt\u2019s going to help property owners \u2026 to remain in their homes.\u201d<\/p>\n

More than 250 residents who lost homes in the Los Angeles County firestorms have applied for ADU permits so far, city and county figures show.<\/p>\n

Once residents rebuild their primary home, they can rent out their ADUs<\/a>, generating cash to offset the cost of their mortgage, Barger added. And an ADU can be a win-win situation, creating more housing inventory in the community as well, she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to get back to my neighborhood, even though it\u2019s still sort of in pieces,\u201d said Pacific Palisades resident Ed Amos, 68. \u201cIt\u2019d be so nice and reassuring to be back to where we lived. And the ADU really accomplishes that as a starting point.\u201d<\/p>\n

In January, Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order<\/a> aimed at simplifying the process of building ADUs and allowing homeowners to set up temporary trailers on their properties. The goal was to provide them with a place to live while they rebuild or repair their homes.<\/p>\n

Also see:<\/strong>\u00a0Newsom picks housing over CEQA in 2 bills aimed at speeding construction<\/a><\/p>\n

The governor\u2019s executive order also suspends certain environmental laws<\/a> and fast-tracks rebuilding for coastal properties, exempting them from Coastal Commission review for new construction. It applies only to properties \u201cthat are in substantially the same location as, and do not exceed 110% of the footprint and height of, properties and facilities that were legally established and existed immediately before this emergency,\u201d the order reads.<\/p>\n

In April, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass issued development guidelines allowing homeowners to add an ADU to their plan without losing the expedited approvals allowed for \u201clike-for-like\u201d rebuilds. L.A. County has similar rules in place.<\/p>\n

Some homeowners told the Southern California News Group they are building standalone ADUs, something not previously allowed without a primary home on the parcel. Others say they are taking advantage of the opportunity to expand their living space.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe fact that we\u2019ve waived permit fees, and we\u2019ve waived the requirement that an ADU has to be on property where there\u2019s an (existing) structure has really simplified that part of it as well,\u201d Barger said.<\/p>\n

\"ArchitectArchitect Scott Uriu on his land in Altadena on Wednesday, July 9, 2025. Uriu lived in his home for 28 years until it was destroyed in the Eaton fire. He plans to build a two-story ADU first. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News\/SCNG)
\nMoving forward<\/p>\n

After losing his 1,400-square-foot house in the Eaton fire, Scott Uriu is moving forward with plans to build a modern two-story, 1,200-square-foot ADU with one bedroom, 1 \u00bd\u00a0 bathrooms and balconies. While this will serve as a temporary living space for him and his family, it may also become a rental property after his house is rebuilt.<\/p>\n

Uriu, who owns an architecture firm, is also designing two other ADUs for neighbors, as well as several primary residences.<\/p>\n

Also see:<\/strong>\u00a0Can 3D-printed homes solve California\u2019s housing crisis?<\/a><\/p>\n

For his own project, he intends to use the ADU to help secure financing for his larger 2,200-2,500-square-foot house, which will almost double the size of his original home.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m blowing way past (like-for-like),\u201d he said. \u201cThe county might take a long time to actually approve what I want to do for the main house, but the ADU is no problem.\u201d<\/p>\n

Altadena is governed by a set of community design standards that require a 25-foot rear yard setback, which can be challenging on smaller lots.<\/p>\n

ADUs are the exception.<\/p>\n

\u201cA 25-foot tall, 1,200-square-foot ADU, unless it\u2019s in a very high fire zone, can be 4 feet from the rear property line and 4 feet from the side property line,\u201d Uriu said. \u201cAnd that is, to a certain degree, what I\u2019m doing.\u201d<\/p>\n

That not everyone is rushing to take advantage of the opportunity baffles Uriu, who is currently sharing a 1,000-square-foot rental in Highland Park with his wife and two college-aged children, who are home for the summer. In April, he took to the American Institute of Architects\u2019 Instagram page to spread the word about building ADUs first.<\/p>\n

More on insurance:<\/strong>\u00a0Eaton Fire survivors meet in person to call for end to denials and delays<\/a><\/p>\n

With most insurers only covering rent for two years, he said, ADUs are bound to be in demand \u201cjust to get people out of their rentals and onto their properties.\u201d<\/p>\n

Skyrocketing demand<\/p>\n

ADU production skyrocketed over the past seven years after California lawmakers lifted restrictions on them to increase housing.<\/p>\n

Seventeen laws adopted since 2016 lifted owner-occupancy requirements and restrictive lot size, setback and parking standards, according to UC Berkeley\u2019s Terner Center for Housing Innovation. Subsequent laws allow homeowners to build up to two ADUs on a single-family lot.<\/p>\n

Also see:<\/strong>\u00a012 new California laws looking to boost affordable home construction<\/a><\/p>\n

L.A. County jurisdictions issued more than 63,000 ADU permits from 2018 to 2024, accounting for nearly half of all the permits issued statewide, according to figures from the California Housing and Community Development Department.<\/p>\n

State and local officials now see this housing type as an integral part of the fire recovery.<\/p>\n

As of early July, L.A. County planning and building officials received 224 rebuild applications that include an ADU. Among these, 29 are standalone ADUs, said Edward Rojas, assistant director of the county\u2019s Advanced Planning Division.<\/p>\n

City officials in Los Angeles received at least 29 ADU applications for fire-damaged lots by mid-July, while the city of Pasadena received two.<\/p>\n

More on LA\u2019s recovery:<\/strong>\u00a0Plan for rebuilding in fire zones: Cut permit delays, fees, but look to feds for loans<\/a><\/p>\n

The ADUs range from 250 to 1,200 square feet. Costs vary, but homeowners interviewed said they\u2019re spending from $84,000 to $600,000.<\/p>\n

The financial aspects of ADU construction present challenges, such as whether a bank would be willing to issue a second loan for an ADU if the homeowner already has a primary mortgage, said Dana Cuff, director of cityLAB-UCLA<\/a> and a co-author of the landmark ADU ordinance that became law in 2017.<\/p>\n

But, Cuff said, building ADUs in the fire zones \u201cmakes sense.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c(With) housing circumstances so dire, it makes it possible to make changes that wouldn\u2019t be possible otherwise,\u201d Cuff said. \u201cSupervisor Barger and her team are anxious to make those things happen.\u201d<\/p>\n

Also see:<\/strong>\u00a0State Farm under investigation for handling of Palisades, Eaton wildfire claims<\/a><\/p>\n

The county also is urging residents to consider prefabricated and factory-built homes as a way to speed up rebuilding.<\/p>\n

To demonstrate the feasibility of prefab ADUs and houses, cityLAB is collaborating with Barger\u2019s office and LA4LA\u00a0 to install four prefab units by August, including two ADUs.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re going to hook those up permanently, allow people to tour them, and then rent them to people who\u2019ve been displaced by the fire,\u201d Cuff said.<\/p>\n

The county has identified two other sites on Lincoln Avenue in Altadena for an additional eight prefab units to showcase housing options and allow residents to \u201ckick-the-tires.\u201d<\/p>\n

Also see:<\/strong>\u00a0How San Diego hacked California housing law to build ADU \u2018apartment buildings\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cI think (ADUs) are a brilliant part of the return home for people who lost property in the burn areas,\u201d Cuff affirmed.<\/p>\n

\"ContractorContractor Jun Li Lujan, 63, of Pasadena shows off the framing for the home that\u2019s replacing the house she lost in the Eaton fire last January. In addition to rebuilding her house, Lujan is converting her garage into a 493-square-foot ADU. \u201cI don\u2019t need a parking space. I need a small living space,\u201d Lujan said. \u201cI have a lot of friends. A guest can come over (and) use that.\u201d (Photo courtesy of Jun Li Lujan)<\/p>\n

Reza Akef, owner of Metro Capital Builders Inc. and a construction adviser for Pali Strong, expects to break ground on an ADU in Pacific Palisades for a family of five.<\/p>\n

The family, currently living in the South Bay, is building a two-story, 657-square-foot beach cottage with one bedroom, one bathroom, a kitchenette and a stacked laundry area. It\u2019s designed to complement the main house, which will be built later.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey want to do the ADU first so they can get back to normal. They just want to go home,\u201d Akef said. \u201cI hear it in their voices. In all of this chaos, the ADU is a silver lining.\u201d<\/p>\n

So, why aren\u2019t more people doing it?<\/p>\n

Akef said people who initially considered building an ADU found it more cost-prohibitive to build separately rather than at the same time as the main residence.<\/p>\n

And many people are still having issues with insurance companies that are paying a fraction of the cost of rebuilding, he said.<\/p>\n

Coastal loophole<\/p>\n