LOS ANGELES (KTLA) — Rebuilding Los Angeles is going to take many years, and wealthier Angelenos will likely be able to pick up the pieces much faster than those with less means.
On Thursday, KTLA 5 consumer reporter David Lazarus spokes with a housing developer to discuss the challenges of rebuilding after natural disasters, focusing on the perspective of home builders.
Lance Williams, CEO of Williams Homes, emphasized the importance of homeowners first reviewing their insurance policies with experts.
“We found that the first thing that homeowners should do really is get their insurance policies and review them with their agent or someone who’s an expert in insurance, and get a really good understanding of the coverage in their policy,” Williams said.
He also recommended that those rebuilding aim to live within their means.
“There will be pressure on materials and labor and we’re always concerned about that. So it’s important not to design a house that’s like the house that you lost, or 110% of the house that you lost, so you have a chance to actually be able to pay to to have that house rebuilt, so you don’t end up with too big of a house,” Williams said.
The discussion also touched on the potential for economic disparities in the rebuilding process. Williams confirmed that wealthier areas will likely receive faster rebuilding services due to their financial capabilities.
“The working class economy of Altadena versus the more well-to-do economy of say, the Pacific Palisades or Malibu, he was very clear about it that ‘money talks,’” Lazarus said. “And when it comes to securing the services of a contractor or a building crew, well, it’s the ones who are able to pony up the most cash the quickest that are going to get the fastest attention, and that means, in theory, the Altadena residents are going to be left behind, at least at the outset of the rebuilding process.”
One advantage that working-class families may have is the relative ease of constructing their standard, single-family “production homes” compared to the complexities of building custom homes in areas like the Palisades.
“If you have a production home on a production lot, and you hire a qualified contractor who has experience to return to you from front to back on this thing, you should be back in your house within two years,” Williams said.