EWD Pulse Newsletter – LA’s 2026 Growth Drivers: Construction
Greetings!
We realize that labeling it a ‘silver lining’ doesn’t ease the sorrows of those who lost so much during the 2025 LA wildfires. However, the response to that disaster is leveraging a recovery of another sort: the effort of rebuilding will encompass not just those losses, but also the vast housing shortages still hampering this market after the 2008 housing bubble burst.
Numerous hinderances have stymied LA’s construction sector since the housing bubble collapsed in 2008, with both builders and buyers getting mired down by rules designed to prevent that from happening again. The wildfire situation appears to have released some of that angst, and communities are again looking for both contractors and home buyers to add inventory to one of the country’s tightest housing markets. With an estimated 450,000 new homes needed, it appears that the construction trades will be busy well into the future.
On today’s Podcast, Leslie Thompson joins me to discuss our community’s plans to maintain the impetus to focus on a rebuild effort. And on the EWD Pulse website, we continue to explore how past crises have informed future effort. Check it out!
Dr. Salvatrice Cummo
Vice President – EWD, Pasadena City College
Feature Article
LA 2026 Growth Drivers: Construction
While the 2025 wildfires are definitely playing a strong role in shaping California’s …
Future of Work Podcast
PCC Leaders Talk Sustainability
Dr. Salvatrice Cummo and Leslie Thompson discuss maintaining focus on long-range plans.
