Trump administration officials traveled to Los Angeles this week to outline the president’s pla
n to override state and local rules and speed up the permitting process for reconstruction of tens of thousands of homes destroyed by last year’s wildfires.
Last week the president signed an executive order that the White House promised would allow homeowners to rebuild without contending with “unneces
sary, duplicative, or obstructive” requirements. The plan is to allow federal loan recipients to “self-certify” that they meet all state and local building requirements if their permits aren’t approved within 60 days,
Related: Trump Putting Zeldin in Charge of Permits to Rebuild After LA Wildfires
Trump’s goal is to help homeowners cut through bureaucratic red tape and “tear through every single obstacle” that’s slowing rebuilding, said U.S. Environmental Protec
tion Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin, whom Trump tapped to oversee the effort.
His staff will examine why over 1,000 permit applications have been returned to residents seeking to rebuild, Zeldin said during a Wednesday news conferen
ce after meeting with residents in Pacific Palisades, where the first of the two infernos erupted in January 2025.
“We want to know why every single one of these applications are sent back to the applicant,” he said. “What is that hurdle … that’s preventing them the ability to be able to rebuild their home?”
Related: The Return Period for An LA Wildfire-Scale Event May Be Shorter Than You Think
It is unclear whether he was referring to permit applications for the Palisades or Eaton fire areas. LA County’s permitting progress dashboard shows 619 pe
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rmit applications were returned with comments for those in unincorporated areas of both fires.
Helen Chavez, a spokesperson for Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger’s office, said they were mostly returned for local code compliance issues, such as b
uilding too close to property lines, and adherence to building height and roofing standards.
Local Leaders Say The Process Is Moving Fast
State and local officials maintain permits are being approved in a timely manner. They questioned whether the Trump administration can legally take over the permit
ting process and said they’ve received little to no information about how the new process is to work.
Roughly 3,000 permits have been approved, with more than 1,000 homes under construction, according to county data.
“Now (Trump) has signed an executive order that goes into effect, when? We don’t know. Is it legal? Almost certainly not,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom said at a new
s conference Monday in San Diego. “He hasn’t coordinated with anyone to tell them. It’s just typical Trump,” he said during a news conference in San Diego.