Latest news with #Hilgard
Daily Mail
08-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
LA ICE raids send migrant workers into hiding
ICE raids across Los Angeles have driven the migrant workforce into hiding, sparking concerns over the sanctuary city's already rocky economic state. As the California city tries to recuperate from wildfires, businesses and developers have revealed they do not have the manpower to get these crucial jobs done. LA has one of the nation's largest immigrant workforces, with nearly 38 percent of workers originating outside the US, according to 2023 data. Estimates from the Public Policy Institute of California suggest than one in 10 workers in the Golden State are undocumented immigrants, while the Migration Policy Institute reports there are roughly 950,000 'unauthorized' residents in LA county. Donald Trump's immigration crackdown has sparked concern among a significant portion of LA's laborers - especially after a recent bout of raids. 'Papers or not, fear spreads quickly,' real estate consulting firm Hilgard Founding Principal Joshua Baum told Bloomberg . 'When workers do not feel safe showing up to job sites, it slows down not only the pace of construction but also the willingness to propose new projects in the first place.' Immigration agents arrested more than 1,600 people in LA between June 6 and June 22, Bloomberg reported. A prominent raid occurred as recently as the Fourth of July, with the City of West Hollywood condemning one conducted at a car wash that morning. As a result, job sites have been deserted, and construction and renovation projects have been delayed. 'We don't have enough people to staff the work and we're scrambling to figure it out,' Arturo Sneider, the CEO of Primestor, which manages more than 3,000 apartment development projects and $1.2 billion in shopping centers, told Bloomberg. Contributing to what many see as a labor crisis , more than 16,000 structures were wrecked by wildfires from Pacific Palisades to Altadena. The damage may cost LA more than $250 billion, the Los Angeles Times reported. In order to tackle rebuilding the affected areas, the Urban Land Institute reported 70,000 workers will have to be added to LA County's 145,000 construction force by mid-2026. Roughly 14.5 percent of LA construction workers are undocumented, according to the Los Angeles Economic Development Corp. California filed a lawsuit over the use of the National Guard following the first deployment, claiming Trump 'trampled' the state's sovereignty and sent troops without the governor's permission. Meanwhile, city officials said the demonstrations will ultimately cost taxpayers $32 million. Last week, Trump sued LA for failing to comply with federal agents. LA Mayor Karen Bass vowed to fight against the lawsuit, claiming the raids are causing 'severe economic damage.' 'We know that Los Angeles is the test case, and we will stand strong,' Bass said. 'We do so because the people snatched off city streets and chased through parking lots are our coworkers, our neighbors, our family members, and they are Angelenos.' West Hollywood officials wrote in their Friday statement: 'We reaffirm: our immigrant communities are not threats — they are vital contributors to the social, cultural, and economic fabric of our city, our state, and our nation.' While local officials have pointed fingers at the Trump administration for LA's alarming economic state, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has issued a blunt response.
Daily Mail
07-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Iconic city is grinding to a halt as ICE raids send its many migrant workers into hiding
ICE raids across Los Angeles have driven the migrant workforce into hiding, sparking concerns over the sanctuary city's already rocky economic state. As the California city tries to recuperate from wildfires, businesses and developers have revealed they do not have the manpower to get these crucial jobs done. LA has one of the nation's largest immigrant workforces, with nearly 38 percent of workers originating outside the US, according to 2023 data. Estimates from the Public Policy Institute of California suggest than one in 10 workers in the Golden State are undocumented immigrants, while the Migration Policy Institute reports there are roughly 950,000 'unauthorized' residents in LA county. Donald Trump 's immigration crackdown has sparked concern among a significant portion of LA's laborers - especially after a recent bout of raids. 'Papers or not, fear spreads quickly,' real estate consulting firm Hilgard Founding Principal Joshua Baum told Bloomberg. 'When workers do not feel safe showing up to job sites, it slows down not only the pace of construction but also the willingness to propose new projects in the first place.' Immigration agents arrested more than 1,600 people in LA between June 6 and June 22, Bloomberg reported. A prominent raid occurred as recently as the Fourth of July, with the City of West Hollywood condemning one conducted at a car wash that morning. As a result, job sites have been deserted, and construction and renovation projects have been delayed. 'We don't have enough people to staff the work and we're scrambling to figure it out,' Arturo Sneider, the CEO of Primestor, which manages more than 3,000 apartment development projects and $1.2 billion in shopping centers, told Bloomberg. Contributing to what many see as a labor crisis, more than 16,000 structures were wrecked by wildfires from Pacific Palisades to Altadena. The damage may cost LA more than $250 billion, the Los Angeles Times reported. In order to tackle rebuilding the affected areas, the Urban Land Institute reported 70,000 workers will have to be added to LA County's 145,000 construction force by mid-2026. Roughly 14.5 percent of LA construction workers are undocumented, according to the Los Angeles Economic Development Corp. LA officials, as well as California Governor Gavin Newsom have been fiercely battling federal governments efforts to arrest undocumented immigrants. During the anti-ICE riots that broke out at the start of June, Trump sent 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines to LA to intervene and protect federal property. California filed a lawsuit over the use of the National Guard following the first deployment, claiming Trump 'trampled' the state's sovereignty and sent troops without the governor's permission. Meanwhile, city officials said the demonstrations will ultimately cost taxpayers $32 million. Last week, Trump sued LA for failing to comply with federal agents. LA Mayor Karen Bass vowed to fight against the lawsuit, claiming the raids are causing 'severe economic damage.' 'We know that Los Angeles is the test case, and we will stand strong,' Bass said. 'We do so because the people snatched off city streets and chased through parking lots are our coworkers, our neighbors, our family members, and they are Angelenos.' West Hollywood officials wrote in their Friday statement: 'We reaffirm: our immigrant communities are not threats — they are vital contributors to the social, cultural, and economic fabric of our city, our state, and our nation.' While local officials have pointed fingers at the Trump administration for LA's alarming economic state, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has issued a blunt response. 'If there was any correlation between rampant illegal immigration and a good economy, Biden would have had a booming economy,' DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin wrote to Bloomberg.
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Fires, tariffs and high interest rates: L.A. housing construction plunged at start of year
Housing construction in Los Angeles plunged during the first quarter of 2025, according to a new report, a drop off that could ultimately worsen the city's affordability crisis. Developers pulled permits for 1,325 new homes in the city of L.A. during the first three months of 2025, down nearly 57% from the same period a year earlier. In a report released Tuesday, research firm Hilgard Analytics blamed the sharp decline on a variety of factors that have made it more difficult for developers to turn a profit, including high interest rates, tariffs and economic uncertainty, as well as city transfer tax Measure ULA. Hilgard principal Joshua Baum said the January wildfires likely also played a role by causing widespread business disruptions. Declines in the first quarter were reported in most areas of the city but the steepest drop offs were in council districts that cover the west and northeast portions of the San Fernando Valley, as well as South Los Angeles. Though the fire impact could be temporary, housing construction had been falling before January, with city wide permits down 23% in 2024 from 2023, according to Hilgard which analyzes data from the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety that includes permits for new single family and multifamily buildings, but not ADUs. A sustained pull back in housing development could have big implications for a city in the throes of an affordability and budgetary crisis. In general, economists say building more homes reduces upward pressure on home prices and rents, and new development also tends to boost tax revenue. On Monday, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass announced plans to eliminate more than 2,700 city positions to help close a nearly $1-billion budget hole. "If we aren't building now, from a long run perspective, that says higher prices and higher rents at some point in time in the future," said Christopher Thornberg, founding partner of consultancy Beacon Economics. A decline in development isn't unique to the city. Housing developers have been starting fewer projects nationwide, as they deal with high interest rates and the more recent phenomenon of tariffs. Some developers say Measure ULA, a new Los Angeles city tax on large property sales, has made the environment worse in L.A. — compared to the rest of the county and nation — and caused even more projects to be killed. Hilgard Analytics did not examine housing construction outside the city of L.A. in its report. However, a recent analysis from researchers at UCLA and the Rand Corp. estimated housing construction is likely falling more in the city than elsewhere in L.A. county, citing a steeper reduction in the sales of properties where developers tend to build multifamily housing. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
22-04-2025
- Business
- Los Angeles Times
Fires, tariffs and high interest rates: L.A. housing construction plunged at start of year
Housing construction in Los Angeles plunged during the first quarter of 2025, according to a new report, a drop off that could ultimately worsen the city's affordability crisis. Developers pulled permits for 1,325 new homes in the city of L.A. during the first three months of 2025, down nearly 57% from the same period a year earlier. In a report released Tuesday, research firm Hilgard Analytics blamed the sharp decline on a variety of factors that have made it more difficult for developers to turn a profit, including high interest rates, tariffs and economic uncertainty, as well as city transfer tax Measure ULA. Hilgard principal Joshua Baum said the January wildfires likely also played a role by causing widespread business disruptions. Declines in the first quarter were reported in most areas of the city but the steepest drop offs were in council districts that cover the west and northeast portions of the San Fernando Valley, as well as South Los Angeles. Though the fire impact could be temporary, housing construction had been falling before January, with city wide permits down 23% in 2024 from 2023, according to Hilgard which analyzes data from the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety that includes permits for new single family and multifamily buildings, but not ADUs. A sustained pull back in housing development could have big implications for a city in the throes of an affordability and budgetary crisis. In general, economists say building more homes reduces upward pressure on home prices and rents, and new development also tends to boost tax revenue. On Monday, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass announced plans to eliminate more than 2,700 city positions to help close a nearly $1-billion budget hole. 'If we aren't building now, from a long run perspective, that says higher prices and higher rents at some point in time in the future,' said Christopher Thornberg, founding partner of consultancy Beacon Economics. A decline in development isn't unique to the city. Housing developers have been starting fewer projects nationwide, as they deal with high interest rates and the more recent phenomenon of tariffs. Some developers say Measure ULA, a new Los Angeles city tax on large property sales, has made the environment worse in L.A. — compared to the rest of the county and nation — and caused even more projects to be killed. Hilgard Analytics did not examine housing construction outside the city of L.A. in its report. However, a recent analysis from researchers at UCLA and the Rand Corp. estimated housing construction is likely falling more in the city than elsewhere in L.A. county, citing a steeper reduction in the sales of properties where developers tend to build multifamily housing.
