In a January 27 executive order released by the White House, U.S. Donald Trump “Addresses State and Local Failures to Rebuild Los Angeles after Wildfire Disasters.”
The Order directs “the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA) to issue regulations that preempt State and local procedural permitting requirements and enable builders to self-certify to a Federal agency designee that they have complied with State and local substantive health, safety, and building standards.”
Someone gave President Trump bad information. Permitting has not been a problem. This editor’s architects were able to get final approval for house plans at the beginning of July 2025, six weeks after they were submitted. The architects said it’s the fastest they’ve ever been able to go through the process with a single-family home.
The California Post ran a January 27 story “Trump signs executive order for feds to take over LA’s ‘nightmare’ wildfire rebuild in huge boost for victims.” In that story they note that less than 15% of all homes destroyed by the fires have received necessary approvals to move forward, according to the Trump administration.”
And later in the story Trump is quoted as being shocked that even a year later, “There’s nobody building.”
The L.A. Times didn’t bother to run a story about Trump’s executive order. Credit to the Post for running a story, even though they used a photo of a woman who has not even applied for permits.
It appears people are speculating about why building is not happening. “Listen up Mr. President, the California Post and even the L.A. Times.”
We’re not building because we don’t have the money. There is a big gap between what insurance is paying and the cost of rebuilding. Obtaining loans to make up the gap difference is proving nearly impossible.
About 30 percent of the homes destroyed were seniors, who in order to rebuild would have to spend retirement money. The landlords of the mobile home parks have not allowed nearly 1,000 people to come back – and they don’t have the money to buy somewhere else.
Pacific Palisades and Altadena could use infrastructure money. There are only few remaining streetlights in Pacific Palisades. Residents have been told there’s no money to replace them and the Palisades are in the queue for lights, because it’s a city-wide problem. There is no money in the budget and copper theft has left much of Los Angeles in the dark.
The streets are crumbled and unsafe to drive on. Sidewalks are buckled and should have been repaired before the fire, but weren’t.
STOP TALKING ABOUT PERMITS.
Reza Akef wrote to the Post and to CTN that “Whoever advised President Trump on this ‘fact sheet’ got it 90% wrong.”
He wrote “We need money for repairing our destroyed infrastructure: for undergrounding power lines and telecommunications, new water hydrant systems, better water reservoir systems, more fire engines and LAPD assigned permanently to the community, repairing sewer lines (taking any remaining homes off septic) and in five years, paving hundreds of new streets. Let’s not forget an evacuation plan and limits on more housing density in a bottleneck community.”
The Genesis returns to the Riviera County Club in February. Los Angeles can only hope they make sure the Goodyear blimp stays focused on the course, and doesn’t go west and show the devastation.
The World Cup comes this year—hopefully, the city can keep people from taking disaster tours through the Palisades and Altadena. And in 2028, the Olympics comes to L.A. and to America—politicians on both sides of the aisle need to work together to make sure this city isn’t an embarrassment on the world stage.
Just in case you missed it, “PERMITS ARE NOT THE PROBLEM.”
Sue, I saw this on Next Door today. And then I read the negative comments about Trump. I swear, Trump could find a cure for cancer, end all world hunger, get everyone their permits to build and people would still bitch and moan. And then, of course, the bitchers and moaners will re-vote bASS back into office because she’s doing such a wonderful bang up job.
Perhaps … this is just the start. Once the Feds get involved they will take additional steps. From debris clearance to rebuilding infrastructure , we need resources and management capability this City and State cannot provide.
Also… lest we forget… we do not have strategy nor funding nor operational oversight for a proactive approach to preventing another fire.
— Schools need to ensure that teenagers setting off fireworks get expelled,
— LAPD needs to contract with private security to patrol the town 24/7/365,,
— LAFD needs proactive drone patrols of hillsides during wind events.
— Plus would be nice if 911 calls are actually answered in a timely fashion.
Federal help with all of these issues would be appreciated since City and State flat out cannot manage public safety proactively. As we have seen. And will see again if the issue listed above are not firmly resolved.
Well written response thank you for clarifying the situation EXACTLY!!!!!
The best thing that could happen to us is that people DO take disaster tours. Every time an editor or reporter comes to LA I offer to give them a tour. We take our version of Hiroshima for granted but outsiders get overwhelmed when they see it. I always make sure they get a look at pristine Station 69 with its polished, untouched fire trucks on the way out. Even die-hard Democrats (these are news professionals, after all) get angered by this sight.
Money ….MO MONEY
Here’s the problem with that – your “team” takes all the money and spends it on other stuff,
Look no farther then the FIRE-AID money.
Imagine if President Trump gave Federal dollars to Karen Bass for street lights, it flowed through LADWP, we would never see it.
The editor had the opportunity to speak with the head of the SBA (in person) a couple of months ago, did you articulate this?
And
You want money for infrastructure BUT the DISTAIN you have for the people you asking money from is so off the charts , who would want to work with you ?
Or trust you?
There is a trust issue – NGOs, screaming about 2 republican senators coming to speak and now this
Everyone knows it’s not a permit issue
I totally agree. Here’s the deal, our CA Dept of Insurance is in charge of holding the insurance carriers responsible. Ricardo Lara, the commissioner, has the power. From what I understand, the Feds only play to help is to audit the CDI to check for systemic underpayment of claims. And from what I understand, FEMA can do this. That’s why I filed a complaint with the Office of Inspector General at the DHS.
https://hotline.oig.dhs.gov/#step-1
We need the Feds to audit Ricardo Lara’s little honey hole. This lame duck is a shill for big insurance. He should be tarred and feathered in village green.
Completely agree with DonT. Trump could cure cancer and the same democrats would complain. BTW – who would ever give money straight up to Los Angeles, Karen Bass and group, we seen what happened to our tax dollars.
We may want street lights BUT there’s no honest vendor nor department to give that money to.
And ALL these same people will vote Karen Bass right back into office
I cannot dismiss the Permits and Fees because I have no idea what they will charge and I have no reasonable way to challenge them. It has been a full year since i began the process of getting temporary power. I have met and spoken with dozens of people from DWP and the City of LA. They all have opinions, but no one has an answer. I will be meeting at the One Stop on Sepulveda tomorrow and let know what I find out.
FYI Sue from yesterday’s LATimes.
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-01-27/trump-executive-order-preempt-permitting-process-fire-destroyed-homes-l-a
Strong point: permits aren’t the main problem—funding is. Thanks for cutting through the noise.