Posted on 03/24/2026 8:09:25 AM PDT by Twotone
Environmental Protection Agency chief Lee Zeldin confirmed Monday the Trump administration wants to intensify efforts to get state and local regulators to drop burdensome, costly zoning laws — including on homes built on assembly lines — to help the next generation afford the American dream of home ownership.
The Palisades Fire in Southern California last year destroyed roughly 13,000 homes in the Palisades and Eaton neighborhoods of Los Angeles. Over a year later, a little more than 3,000 rebuilding permits have been issued and only a few dozen homes have been built, according to The New York Post.
Zeldin detailed Monday on the “John Solomon Reports” podcast the challenges homeowners are facing in trying to rebuild their homes, which includes wading through the bureaucracy of California’s building permit authorities.
“There are so many lessons to be learned here, and as far as the permitting process goes, making sure that you have one-stop shop permitting in one location as close to the disaster site as possible, that you have as few boxes that have to get checked, and as little red tape and bureaucracy to go through in order to get your permit approval. And you have as many building companies engaged as possible,” Zeldin said.
Zeldin said that the landowners know better than the government how best to rebuild, and this will empower private individuals, as well as the private sector.
(Excerpt) Read more at justthenews.com ...
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Simple, pass a federal law mandating that governments that take longer than 30 days to deny or approve a residential housing building permit get fined $100 for every day past that. There also needs to be some adjudication if permits are denied for erroneous reasons.
A thoughtful proposal from an administrator who solves problems instead of merely venting about the opposition. Are California Republicans awake enough to run on this?
It’s none of the Fed’s business
I know a family that manufactures homes and even now, hotels. They are of decent quality.
It still strikes me as a strange housing opportunity, though.
The cost is good, as well, but you won’t have issues if you build it in the country. Building in the city creates issues with non-owners not being familiar with the quality.
Sure... /S. Why not just pass a law that no home can cost more than $10,000?
Your solution raises multiple constitutional issues.
A Federal appeals court ruled zoning to be “Constitutional” back about 1925. The dissenting judge on the three judge panel said: You will be sorry.
His prediction was correct.
The Constitution does not give the federal government authority over the construction of homes in the various states. Regulation of housing, if any, is a state and local government prerogative. HUD, FHA and other agencies involved in the housing market are unconstitutional infringements on the 10th Amendment.
If the federal government wishes to do anything to affect the cost of housing, particularly entry level housing, it can expel the estimated 30+ million illegal immigrants currently living in the United States. Doing so will increase the supply of housing. Increased supply will result in lower costs as market forces come into play.
I’m good with what you proposed. The problem is that everything that goes into building a house is much more expensive now, including materials and labor. Even if you build it yourself it’s still going to be expensive.
Keep deporting illegals. Lower demand, lower prices.
Normally, I'll agree with you. But try building a house in California.
That’s the real answer right three.
And I own three rental properties. Yet I am all for mass deportations of illegals that would reduce my rental income.
THANK YOU.
“...intensify efforts to get STATE and LOCAL regulators...”
I live in a rigorously zoned city. House prices have always been higher per square foot than similar ones just outside our borders. We like it that way.
This seems to be a states rights issue to me. What justification does the federal government have to meddle?
Every empty lot should have a shipping container placed in the back. Turn them into in-law ADU’s before the main house is built. This country needs welders. Let them train on them.
City planners could place cement pillars that can fit underneath them leaving crawl space for sewage lines.
We need the housing. This would get it started. Easy to remove if circumstances change.
There are things such as mobile/manufactured housing. Easy to convert to permanent housing.
The fact that government is even involved here in a destructive way is the problem.
Something somewhere needs to be abolished.
Government is just so big now that its hard to even know which agency is exactly the problem anymore. It’s just “the man”, and the man holds us down. The experts are the enemy of the American people.
And no. reducing regs at this point is insufficient. Without abolishing anything then the democrats can just come right back in the future and put it all back.
People get drunk off of temporary wins. Guys, its just temporary. Stop your hiccuping and be real. It’s not even good alcohol, it’s the cheap and nasty stuff that makes you throw up once the time expires.
This.
If Fedzilla wishes to do We the People any favors, it should stop doing us favors. Fedzilla should stop exercising powers not Constitutionally authorized to it.
Correct
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