Los Angeles County released highlights of a plan to accelerate the rebuilding process for people who lost their homes in the January fires by granting permits faster using AI, lowering energy capital costs, and reducing property taxes on burned out lots, the county announced on Monday, July 7.
A full plan, “LA County Forward: Blueprint for Rebuilding,” will be released in its entirety in a few weeks.
The announcement was made on the six-month anniversary of the Eaton and Palisades fires, which ravaged the Palisades and portions of Malibu on the coast, and just below the San Gabriel Mountains, destroyed about 70% of Altadena and more than 117 homes in Pasadena after sparks spread to flames and flying embers during a fierce windstorm.
“Six months in — it is not a celebration today. It is really to let the people know we are nearing completion of clearing the lots, but I am not going to let my guard down or take my foot off the pedal,” said Fifth District Supervisor Kathryn Barger, whose district includes Altadena, an unincorporated community north of Pasadena.
The county plan includes four major aspects:
• Waiving codes for rooftop solar and storage, electrification and other new energy standards. This could save about $30,000 in rebuilding construction costs.
• Accelerating permitting. Many homeowners both in Los Angeles’ Palisades, and in county-unincorporated Altadena, say that the process is way too slow. At first, getting a rebuilding permit took 247 days but by adding more planners and one-stop permit centers, that has dropped to 49 days, Barger said. “I want to get that down to 30 days,” she said, adding that using a new Artificial Intelligence program starting next week will help do that.
• Deferring fees paid to the county Department of Public Works and Department of Regional Planning can save about $20,000 per rebuild.
• Property tax reductions. People who own land with no house still have to pay property taxes to the county. But reassessments and lowering tax bills for 17,100 parcels has saved owners up to $10,000 a year, the county reported. County Assessor Jeffrey Prang’s Office has about 2,900 who’ve submitted claims to finish, and about 3,000 property owners who have not filed claims. “We are still going forward. We still have some to work through,” said Steve Whitmore, spokesman. “We want to get everyone into the system.”
But admittedly, Barger said the main complaint she hears from folks is they don’t have enough money to rebuild, even a similar home.
“Insurance seems to be one of the bottlenecks. People have architects, plans, and are waiting on insurance companies and they can be noncommittal,” Barger said during an interview outside where Gov. Gavin Newsom was about to speak at Pasadena City College.
She wants the county to use its bully pulpit to pressure the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to offer people low-interest construction loans. A private loan will cost between 7% and 8% interest, while a Small Business Administration construction loan can be offered at 2% to 4%, she explained.
“I am advocating with the federal government to work toward offering low-interest loans to those who want to rebuild,” she said. “I can sure as heck advocate for my constituents on behalf of what is needed.”
Newsom has asked the Trump Administration for $40 billion in aid. Rep. Brad Sherman, D-Sherman Oaks, said he and other California Democrats are pushing for this award to include $10 billion in a disaster relief grant program, particularly for those who lost everything and did not have insurance.
Sherman, who represents the Palisades, said the federal government only gives $43,000 for rebuilding, and another $43,000 for replacing cars and contents in the home that were lost, a total of $86,000 per household. “That is not enough,” he said.
He also advocates property owners in the Palisades and Altadena apply for SBA loans, which can amount to $500,000 for rebuilding costs and $100,000 for replacing contents.
“Trump has threatened that package but has not taken it away,” Sherman said. “What we need is a supplemental appropriation to go beyond (the $86,000),” he said, saying this has occurred after other major disasters in other parts of the United States.
What are the Democrats’ chances of getting this bill passed?
“The chance of getting everything we ask for is very small,” Sherman said. “I think we will get something but that is not assured. Government was predictable until Trump took office.”
He also wants to make sure houses being rebuilt are up to new, home-hardening, fire-resistant standards. He’s also advocating in legislation for the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy to enact more brush clearing, to make the area less prone to wildfire disasters.
“We are going back to the country and saying we will build back better,” Sherman said.
Barger is leaning on Southern California Edison to make good on promises to put electric utility lines underground. An Edison power line that may have re-energized during the windstorm is being looked at as a possible cause of the Eaton fire.
She wants to see more than 150 miles of power lines buried, along with telecommunication equipment, reducing fire risks and updating infrastructure.
“We are here for the long haul,” Barger said. “I am confident in the next six months we will have another good story to tell.”