Two California researchers dug deep into the lengthy Los Angeles' housing permitting processes and history of development in the City between 2010 and 2022 and uncovered detailed evidence that extensive permitting processes not only delay needed housing, making it even more expensive to produce needed new homes, but have a chilling effect on production, disincentivizing new housing.
Researchers Stuart Gabriel and Edward Kung from UCLA and California State University found that "if mean duration and volatility in approval times were reduced by 25%, the rate of housing production would increase by 11.9%, due simply to the pulling forward in time of projects that were already started." The researchers results went further, quantifying the chilling effect that these lengthy approval times have on new housing starts, disincentivizing other builders from even attempting to undertake the costly, uncertain process. "When we additionally account for the effect of incentivizing new development, we find that same 25% reduction in approval time would increase the rate of housing production by a full 33.0%."
Jonathan Berk is an urbanist and advocate who’s focused his career on building and advocating for walkable communities with vibrant public spaces, abundant housing choices and robust local small business communities. As the Founder of Re:Main, he's working to accelerate the growth and expansion of walkable neighborhoods, with abundant housing options, through innovative, action-oriented programs.
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