Wildfire rebuild roadblocks breed very little predictability

"Jeffrey Sandorf, Palisades resident and vice president of Southern California division sales at homebuilder Thomas James Homes, said there isn't a single, straightforward answer for why more residents aren't back home. It's a non-linear process, Sandorf said. There's very little predictability of the priorities and roadblocks from family to family."

"Aggravation over wildfire rebuilding roadblocks continues to focus on permitting and insurance, as many cite the latter as the top barrier. Another home completion in the Pacific Palisades' Alphabet Streets adds to the 24 residential units in total built in unincorporated parts of Los Angeles County as of Tuesday."

"As of Tuesday, the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety reported 2,219 permits issued for 984 different addresses. Individual properties can sometimes require the issuance of multiple permits. It's a drop in the bucket for the more than 7,800 residential and commercial structures damaged or destroyed in last January's Palisades fire."

Following the Palisades and Eaton fires, only 24 residential units have been completed in unincorporated Los Angeles County areas as of Tuesday. While government permitting red tape is commonly blamed for slow rebuilding, residents and developers cite multiple interconnected barriers. Jeffrey Sandorf, a homebuilder and Palisades resident, emphasizes that rebuilding involves unpredictable priorities and roadblocks varying by family. Insurance issues rank as a top barrier alongside permitting challenges. As of Tuesday, the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety issued 2,219 permits for 984 addresses, representing a small fraction of the over 7,800 residential and commercial structures damaged or destroyed in January's Palisades fire.

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