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LA mayor issues housing executive order amid wildfires, crisis

The order aims to expedite permit reviews and prepare for further disaster.

LA officials are 'focused on rebuilding,' mayor says

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and other officials address the public on the ongoing wildfires.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has issued an executive order to rebuild homes and businesses that the city lost in the ongoing LA County fires that overall have so far burned more than 40,000 acres and destroyed more than 12,000 structures

The executive order calls for city agencies to expedite temporary occupancy approvals for 1,400 housing units that are near completion, and the establishment of a "Debris Removal Task Force" and "Watershed Hazards Task Force" to respectively develop plans for debris removal and mitigate the risks and dangers of post-fire flash floods, mudslides and debris flows.

The order also calls for city agencies to collectively expedite the building permit review process, calling for reviews to be done in 30 days following the submission of an application. Inspections by the Department of Building and Safety are to be conducted in two business days of a submitted request, according to the order.

 

The Palisades Fire leaves total devastation in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Jan. 13, 2025. John Locher/AP
 

For structures being rebuilt, city agencies will be required to process necessary clearances and releases related to building permit applications and certificates of occupancy within five business days, the order states.

The order notes that eligible rebuilds under these requirements must be rebuilt at the same location where they previously existed, used for the same use as the previous structure and are not to exceed 110% of the floor area, height, and bulk of the previous structure.

“This unprecedented natural disaster warrants an unprecedented response that will expedite the rebuilding of homes, businesses and communities,” Bass said in a statement. “This order is the first step in clearing away red tape and bureaucracy to organize around urgency, common sense and compassion. We will do everything we can to get Angelenos back home.”

Bass received criticism for being away from the city on a planned diplomatic trip to Ghana when the Palisades Fire first erupted and has been hit by critics for her leadership, particularly from her 2022 Republican mayoral opponent Rick Caruso who claimed Bass was "abandoning her post" during the tragedy in an interview with Politico.

Bass, who posted a warning about the windstorm on social media ahead of the wildfires, told reporters Wednesday, Jan. 8, the day after the fire started, that she took the "fastest route back, which included being on a military plane."

The wildfires have been predicted by financial analysts to "be the costliest wildfire event in California history," with Goldman Sachs estimating total losses at $40 billion.

With families displaced across the county, the wildfires have put pressure on communities already facing housing crises. California, and specifically Los Angeles County, has some of the highest rent and home costs in the country, according to the California Legislative Analyst's Office, with mid-tier homes priced more than twice as high as an average mid-tier home in the United States.

According to Apartments.com, renters also face challenges: the average rent in Los Angeles is 39% higher than the national average rent, the real estate research organization states.

High housing and living costs are highlighted by the state's troubles tackling homelessness, with more homeless residents than any other state.

 

California Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass tour the downtown business district of Pacific Palisades as the Palisades Fire continues to burn on, Jan. 8, 2025, in Los Angeles. Eric Thayer/Getty Images
 

According to the U.S. Office of Housing and Urban Development, the availability of housing for individuals and families experiencing homelessness in the area led to a decline in homelessness for the first time in 7 years.

Los Angeles County’s point-in-time estimate of homelessness declined by 0.27%, while the city estimated a decline of 2.2%. The unsheltered homeless population decreased by larger margins, with the county decreasing it by 5.1% and the city decreasing it by 10.4%.

Addressing homelessness and the lack of affordable housing in the region was a key piece of Bass' campaign, though not without controversy and hurdles.

In December 2022, Bass declared a state of emergency concerning homelessness on her first day in office.

Bass' Executive Directive 1, aimed at expediting thousands of affordable housing projects, was also criticized by some residents for targeting areas with rent-controlled apartments that had tenants in place who would be displaced by demolition and construction or for potentially impacting wealthier, designated historic districts.

The plan was recently updated in the summer of 2024 to restrict where these projects can be built by avoiding historic districts or displacing current tenants. The moves have been criticized for ultimately hindering efforts to build more affordable housing and leaving low-income housing in the balance, according to local news outlets.

Bass' latest order does not note how it may impact the creation of these affordable housing projects.

Since the start of her tenure, she founded Inside Safe, a program to house homeless residents in local hotels and motels. According to local reports, the program faced pushback from hotel and motel owners tasked with housing the participants and was criticized for the poor living conditions faced by those being sheltered.

The program's website states it has placed more than 3,600 people in temporary housing and more than 700 in permanent housing so far.

Overall, Bass' office states it has moved 23,000 homeless residents into temporary housing and doubled the number of residents it has moved into permanent housing.

ABC News' Ivan Pereira contributed to this report.

Author: Kiara Alfonseca

Source: ABC GMA

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