The recovery of the Greater Los Angeles area is going more slowly and more painfully than I imagined.
And while I had an idea that the recovery of the area from the wildfires of 2025 was going to be slow, I had not anticipated that the pace was going to be absolutely glacial.
As I have noted, over 18,000 structures were damaged or destroyed in the regional conflagration. As of now, reports indicate only 800 permits related to reconstruction have been issued.
More than 800 homeowners in Pacific Palisades, Altadena and other areas affected by January’s wildfires have applied for rebuilding permits, according to a Times analysis of local government permitting data.Of those, at least 145 have received approval to start construction on major repairs or replacement of their homes in the cities of Los Angeles, Malibu and Pasadena and in Altadena and other unincorporated areas of L.A. County, the analysis found.At events this week commemorating the fires’ six-month mark, state and local leaders have celebrated the pace of cleanup efforts, touting their completion months ahead of schedule. Nearly 13,000 households were displaced by the Palisades and Eaton fires, which ripped through the communities Jan. 7 and 8.“Now we turn the page to rebuilding, and we’re doing it with a clear plan, strong partnerships and the urgency this moment demands,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement.
During the disaster, Governor Gavin Newsom gave a disturbing interview in which he seemed gleeful about rebuilding by developers.
Seven months later, the reason is clear. Newsom has announced the allocation of $101 million for the building of low-income housing in Pacific Palisades, Altadena, and Malibu.
The California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) is releasing the funding through an existing program with the goal of “expediting and expanding opportunities to build affordable housing for low-income residents,” according to Tomiquia Moss, secretary of the California Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency.“Los Angeles has taken significant steps to rebuild after January’s fires, but the devastation is significant and there remains a long road ahead. Thousands of families – from Pacific Palisades to Altadena to Malibu – are still displaced and we owe it to them to help,” Newsom said in a statement Tuesday.“The funding we’re announcing today will accelerate the development of affordable multifamily rental housing so that those rebuilding their lives after this tragedy have access to a safe, affordable place to come home to,” he added.
I have recently been reflecting on another challenge contributing to this problem. And, like the conditions that contributed to the wildfire, this problem was brought on by California’s loathsome politicians.
California’s construction industry, comprised mainly of middle-class American workers, has fled the state. The exodus has been driven by a combination of high taxes, rising living costs, and a complex regulatory environment hindering the initiation of building projects.
But if you’re not rich, and you’re not poor, but just work, pay taxes, and pay for everything you need with after-tax earnings and without government assistance, California is a hostile environment. The numbers on out-migration are unequivocal. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, an astonishing 8.5 million people have moved out of California since 2010. In 2023 alone, the last full year for which estimates are available, 690,000 people left. In 2022, 818,000; 2021, 841,000. No other state has sustained anywhere near this 15 years of unrelenting mass exodus.
As a result, illegal immigrants have found lucrative work in the construction industry. One report indicates over 28% of construction workers are not here legally.
Almost half of California’s agricultural workforce (46%) is undocumented, the report found — but corporate and family farming are only a couple of the industries deeply dependent upon such labor. In Los Angeles County, 28.7% of the construction workforce is undocumented, along with 17.5% in manufacturing, 16% in wholesale trade and more than 15% in retail trade.
While the Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids may open slots for Americans, many are now enjoying steady work in other parts of the country.
In a nutshell, Newsom, Bass, and their cronies slowed the recovery even before the first blaze ignited.
Stay tuned for even more California fail, as this sad saga continues.
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