Overview
- The Los Angeles City Council voted 15-0 to direct the city attorney to draft an ordinance waiving rebuilding permit and plan-check fees for all fire-damaged structures for three years, capped at $90 million and limited to 110% of the original footprint.
- The fee-waiver plan would reimburse departments from the General Fund and still requires a final council vote before it becomes law.
- Following a Jan. 27 executive order, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin and SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler visited the Palisades to roll out a pathway allowing SBA disaster-loan recipients to self-certify compliance if local permits take more than 60 days, with final occupancy inspections still required.
- Los Angeles County supervisors authorized lawyers to prepare potential legal action to defend local permitting authority, as state and local officials question the legality and necessity of federal preemption.
- Recovery metrics show momentum but uneven progress, with more than 3,000 permits issued and over 1,000 homes under construction, while officials and residents cite insurance delays and lack of capital—illustrated by survivors reporting major coverage shortfalls—as the biggest barriers to rebuilding.