Los Angeles officials have charged six men with felonies for offering to build accessory dwelling units (ADUs) on fire-damaged properties in the Pacific Palisades without proper contractor licenses. The charges stem from a sting operation by the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office and the state's Contractors State License Board (CSLB), which began investigating in April after reviewing online ads lacking contractor license numbers. Authorities warn that hiring unlicensed contractors risks illegal down payments, fraud, unsafe construction, and difficulties in selling homes later.

Meanwhile, South Carolina has passed a law establishing an expedited court process to remove squatters, capping statutory damages for wrongly removed occupants at $1,000 plus compensation for destroyed personal property. According to the Pacific Legal Foundation (PLF), a public-interest law firm advocating for such measures, 15 states criminalized squatting between May 2024 and July 2025.

In Florida, a city is using the threat of eminent domain to block developers from leveraging a state upzoning law to convert a closed golf course into housing.

Los Angeles is permitting rebuilds faster than Maui after its 2023 wildfire but slower than Boulder, Colorado, which faced a wildfire the previous year. These developments come amid broader discussions about housing as an exception to America's economic success story in the 21st century, with comparisons drawn to Europe where central air conditioning remains a luxury.

“We wanted to make sure that it didn't become a real problem here,” officials said, emphasizing proactive steps to address potential issues before they escalate.

Sources note it is only a matter of time before state infill development acts affect local communities, underscoring ongoing tensions in housing policy and development.

Sources