Crunch Leaves Thousands of Homes Half-Built or Abandoned

Thousands of homes in development are being halted and thousands more vacant new homes are being foreclosed across California, leading to crime, looting and squatting.

1 minute read

March 5, 2009, 8:00 AM PST

By Nate Berg

"It's a scene not uncommon throughout California, as residential construction grinds to a halt under the dual weight of the credit crunch and the housing crisis: a rusty chain the only barrier between the community and a half-built structure in Hollywood; a bare dirt lot in Pasadena; old stoves amid the trash at the site in Oakland."

"Nearly 250 residential developments with a combined total of 9,389 houses and condominiums have been halted in California, according to research firm Hanley Wood Market Intelligence. The units, worth close to $3.5 billion, were in various stages of development."

"Now, many are in bankruptcy or have been foreclosed by lenders. Developers have halted sales on an additional 370 new-home developments -- about 30,000 units worth $11.9 billion."

FULL STORY: As projects grind to a halt, home sites turn to wasteland

Wednesday, March 4, 2009 in Los Angeles Times

Housing California Housing Market Abandonment

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