On Monday night, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass issue executive order The project aims to speed up the rebuilding of homes and businesses after wildfires ripped through Pacific Palisades.

Scholars, builders, consultants and other analysts who were asked by The New York Times to review the order said Bass's move is an important start to a process that will inevitably become complicated.

“Directionally, it’s absolutely correct,” said Stuart Gabriel, director of the Ziman Center for Real Estate at UCLA. “That’s exactly the step you’d expect the city to take.”

Here's what the mayor wants to do and the potential pitfalls of the plan:

clear debris

The order requires the city to immediately develop a debris removal plan to remove toxic materials, which is required before any redevelopment can occur. Dan Dunmoyer, president and CEO of the California Building and Construction Industry Association, said fast, comprehensive work is critical for the city. He said hazardous materials littered many parts of New Orleans after Katrina, hampering recovery efforts there for years.

"If they put this together, it's actually a huge first step," Dunmoyer said. “Framework is the foundation for success.”

Issue permits within 30 days for those who want to rebuild their homes and businesses as before

The order directs all city departments to review building plans simultaneously and complete them within 30 days of submission. That includes the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, which has often been criticized for the time it takes to issue permits. If cleared, the city will allow construction to begin.

This expedited schedule applies as long as property owners expand the size of their homes and businesses by no more than 10%.

To help achieve this 30-day goal, the city will establish a physical licensing center near Palisades, staffed with representatives from all applicable departments seven days a week.

You can live on your property in the meantime

Redevelopment residents will be able to set up RVs, tiny homes or other temporary shelters and stay on their land for up to three years.

Housing is about to be completed and progress will be accelerated

There are 22 multifamily developments across the city with a total of 1,400 units awaiting final approval from city inspectors before they can open to residents. Bass' order requires departments to provide temporary certificates of occupancy for those properties so the units can come online more quickly. Hope it helps satisfy some soaring demand Rented after the fire.

Joseph Cohen May, president of the Housing Production Institute in Los Angeles, applauded changes that were made as needed regardless of an emergency.

“We’re letting completed buildings sit for too long before they’re ready for occupancy,” said Cohen May, who analyzes housing policy in Los Angeles.

something missing

One of the biggest remaining questions is how the mayor will pay for the job. Some analysts attribute the existing lengthy building permit process to a lack of staff.

Will timelines get bogged down when thousands of property owners try to submit plans at the same time? If the mayor moves reviewers to the Palisades, which seems likely, what will that mean for allowing other housing to be built in a city? Already facing a severe shortage of available housing?

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Rapid Rebuild plan faces the same procedural and staffing issues. governor took its own administrative action on Sunday to waive some state environmental laws, Speed ​​up debris removal.

Dunmoyer said Bass' order formally combines the two with the goal of rebuilding faster than otherwise allowed.

He said: "The governor is responsible for the macro framework and the mayor is responsible. Now it depends on the implementation."