Palisades Homeowners Barred From Rebuilding With Duplexes

California Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass issued twin executive orders that bar property owners in the Palisades Fire burn areas from building multiple units such as duplexes on their lots, reports Christian Britschgi in Reason. The actions seem to counter the state’s pro-housing policies such as 2021’s SB 9, which supports smaller lot development and multi-family housing.

The orders means no new net housing is likely to be created in the wake of January’s devastating fires, Britschgi notes. “Bass said in a statement issued a day prior to her executive order that while she supports the goal of S.B. 9, deploying it in the context of the Palisades rebuild would strain local infrastructure and heighten future fire risks.” Housing advocates say it will impair efforts to build more housing and that SB 9 contains sufficient fire safety provisions.

However, few builders have used the law since its passage due to onerous regulations and fees, meaning the executive orders could have few practical effects on how the Palisades will rebuild.  “A spokesperson for the mayor's office told LAist that only seven S.B. 9 applications have been filed in the Palisades since the fire in January, out of 400 wildfire rebuild applications in the area.”