In this reaction video, real‑estate investor and broker Joe Homs critiques the severe permitting backlog in Los Angeles County following the 2023 Eaton and Palisades wildfires. He opens by noting that, three months after the fires, not a single rebuild permit has been issued for the Eaton Fire zone despite thousands of homes being destroyed. The video interleaves clips from NBC 4 reporter Lolita Lopez and statements from LA County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, highlighting that the county promised a two‑week first‑review turnaround and a 30‑day permit issuance goal, yet the process now stretches three months because three separate departments—planning, fire, and building‑and‑safety—each take 2‑3 weeks to review plans. Barger acknowledges the problem and proposes a motion to create a senior‑level, cross‑departmental permitting authority and one‑stop recovery centers to cut red tape. The segment also shares county data: 173 zoning reviews received, only three have entered the permit process, and only two temporary housing permits (e.g., RVs, manufactured homes) have been granted. Joe emphasizes the human and financial toll on homeowners, investors, and developers, and offers his own consulting services to help navigate the permitting maze. He ends with a call to like, subscribe, and comment, positioning the issue as both a systemic bureaucratic failure and a personal pain point for those trying to rebuild.
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Hey, it's Joe Homs. And today we're reacting to a story that's honestly frustrating and all too familiar. Not a single building permit has been finalized in the Eaton Fire area. Yep. People are ready to rebuild, but the system is stuck in quicksand. As a real estate investor and broker who's dealt with cities, counties, and enough permit departments to write a sitcom, this hits home. And not in a good way. So let's dive into why nothing is getting approved, what it means for homeowners, investors, and developers, and what lessons we can take from this mess.
It's been 3 months since the Eaton and Palisades fires, and more than 16,000 homes and businesses were destroyed in those fires.
Many have already started rebuilding, but there are major delays in that process. NBC 4 has learned the county is looking to make new changes to that end. Lolita Lopez live in Altadena right now with what she's discovered on this. Lolita?
Yeah, Colleen and Michael, what we've learned is that here in the impacted Eaton fire area, not a single rebuild permit has been issued to this date.
And according Didn't the other reporters say that they were already starting to rebuild? Like, are they talking about the same thing?
Supervisor Catherine Barker from this area, that is not what the county promised. So she says there will be a big vote tomorrow that could bring some big changes.
NBC4 was there when Margo Stuber and her architect Trinidad Campbell submitted plans to rebuild on March 2nd Margo's home that was burned in the Eaton Fire. The promise from the county, a 2-week turnaround time for a first review. And then—
And our goal is to issue a permit once permits— applications have been submitted within 30 days. This is a— this is an incredibly high goal for us, which we intend to meet.
But that is not happening.
You're fired.
Margot and Trinidad say 3 different departments are involved— planning, fire, and building and safety— and each one takes 2 to 3 weeks to review plans, which means it could be at least 3 months before they get their permit.
To be candid, I am not satisfied with the pace. To date, no building permits have been issued, and that is totally unacceptable.
One-stop recovery centers—
Is she running for reelection? Is that why she's concerned now and hadn't been concerned forever?
Like the one in Altadena have brought together multiple agencies to help homeowners, but LA County Supervisor Kathryn Barger tells us more needs to be done.
Not compromising health and safety, But at the same time, recognizing that we need to do better.
She says a motion to cut through red tape will be voted on tomorrow by the LA County Board of Supervisors. It would create a permitting authority with senior-level staff from different departments.
So we need one point of contact that can override and really focus on getting it done in real time.
According to the Army—
Not a bad idea, but if you really think about it, they're just creating another bureaucracy. It's all they're doing.
Corps of Engineers, more than 1,500 properties have been cleared and are ready for rebuild. The fire supervisor, Barger, says an indication of the need to fix a broken permitting system and develop much-needed housing, not only for those impacted by the fires but for those building in the future.
Do these people think that this is just a brand new problem that just developed because of the fires? This has been going on forever. This is, this is our government at work. These are the people that are in charge that are putting all these restrictions in front of just regular people trying to build, trying to continue on with their life, trying to add ADUs, trying to do something, and just one restriction after the other.
That to me is a total wake-up call to the bureaucracy That we are part of the problem, not part of the solution. So I believe that this motion will be a template moving forward.
I don't know this supervisor. I don't know how long they've been in office, but a total wake-up call? Like, if you've been in California for any period of time, you should have woken up a long time ago.
And we got some new numbers from the County Department of Public Works late this afternoon. They tell us that 173 zoning reviews have been received connected to the Eaton Fire. 3 have started the permit process, but once again, no rebuild permits at this time. However, there have been 2 temporary housing permits that have been issued here in the Eaton Fire area, and temporary housing could be anything from an RV to a mobile home to a manufactured home. In Altadena, Lolita Lopez, NBC.
Oh, let's get a permit for an RV and just park it on the lot.
Yes, you need a permit for that too? Come on.
Wow.
Thank you, Lolita. Look, rebuilding after a disaster is hard enough, but when the government can't finalize a single permit, that's not just inefficient, it's painful. For the families waiting to move home, the investors ready to build, and the communities hoping to recover, delays like this are devastating. If you're trying to navigate permitting, city approvals, or just figure out how to move forward, On your next project, let's talk. Book a one-on-one with me, and I'll help you map out your path and avoid some of these pitfalls. And if you found this video helpful or infuriating or both, make sure you like, subscribe, and drop a comment. I want to hear your take, especially if you ever battled City Hall. See you in the next one.
