Los Angeles Pushes to Rebuild Homes Fast, Despite Wildfire Danger


Link to Bloomberg (Jan. 17, 2025) | California politicians are rushing to make it easier for residents to rebuild their homes incinerated in the Los Angeles firestorms. That means waiving green construction mandates designed to combat climate change — which is driving such conflagrations by making conditions hotter and drier — as well as suspending environmental reviews and promising to expedite permits.

… Competition for contractors, laborers and materials could further drive up the cost of rebuilding. “If we’re looking to rebuild in a sustainable, resilient way, the number of contractors that know how to do this is 1% to 2% and they’re going to get booked up,” said Ben Stapleton, executive director of the US Green Building Council California. “That market is going to be completely busy for the next three to four years.” (Link to full article for Bloomberg subscribers)

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