Our Blog

This Blog will discuss various issues and solutions regarding the current California Home Construction Industry.

If you ask any home builders, developers or contractors, California continues to be one of the toughest and most expensive States to build new homes in. For perspective home buyers, it is even worse. Home prices continue to rise and there is not even enough homes on the market to meet the growing demand. Yes, California is ranked 6th in the World, Economy wise, and yes you can drive from the San Francisco Bay Area to the majestic Lake Tahoe in a half day. But there is a housing shortage that continues to plague this great state and there does not look like a simple solution to solving this problem, if no action is taken. In recent years, in just Norther California alone, home builders have been building and selling around 4,500 homes a year. The reality is, that there needs to be more like 10,000 – 12,000 homes built or sold each year, to meet the amount of people looking to purchase. So why the shortage? There are many reasons, but the main reasons are due to a shortage of skilled laborers, the amount of time and permitting fees associated with the build process and the various zoning laws that chokehold developers and builders by limiting where they can build.

So what can be done to fix these issues? YIMBY

What is YIMBY? Here are a few quotes from a recent n a recent article in Forbes “Over the last few years, there have been a host of self-described “Yimby” organizations (“yes in my backyard”) that have popped up in different cities, especially liberal ones, where the housing prices are highest and the anti-development sentiment is strongest.”
“A YIMBY is someone who thinks it’s good for their city to grow. They might come to that conclusion for a variety of reasons. Some yimbys are motivated by the environmental benefits of density, they want to protect agricultural land and natural areas. Some yimbys like density because they don’t want to have to drive and they like having access to diversity of people and arts. I’m in it because I believe in open borders. People have all kinds of reasons to move to the city. I want them to be able to.”

The above quotes from Forbes illustrates that the solution, lies within the people of this Great State, to start taking action in order for the change to come sooner than later. This link, https://archpaper.com/2018/01/wave-affordable-housing-soon-wash-ashore-california/, form “The Architect’s Newspaper” provides hope in the form of new Legislation that is in the works. Again, we need to support these bills and those behind them, if we are going to help solve the housing crisis that continues to grow.

As for the labor shortage, this is a result of many factors and is not as simple to solve. Simply put, more young people today are on a fast track to college and student loan debt, with even less successfully acquiring a college degree and a well paid job afterwards. For most of our youth, unless you are destined for college or the military, there are not many options other than local retail type jobs. Most company owners in the construction industry have not invested enough time or energy in cultivating new employees, as it is an industry based on word of mouth or minimalist advertising. As a parent, you generally tell your children that they need to go to college and earn a degree and become successful. While this may work out for some, most young adults do not realize the potential of joining a skilled trade union or a construction company at an early age, and work their way up. Since there is such a demand for skilled labor, most companies are willing to train inexperienced people, so that they can eventually earn similar wages as college graduates, without the crippling student debt. The vast majority of high schools no longer have shop classes to offer students. This may be another reason why so many students are dropping out of school than ever before. We all need to help out our industry and our youth. Now is the time to be part of the solution.

Thank you,
ELS

Website: www.els-green.com

Instagram/Facebook: els7623

Main Office Phone Number: (916) 388-0308

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“Oh, I didn’t realize your company does that type of work.”
“Wow, ELS has that many employees?”

In this high speed or fast paced world we live in, unless you are a fixed participant in main stream media or are an avid social media user, it seems all but impossible to get the word out, when it comes to advertising your company’s abilities, current jobs and future goals. So, here we go, our first ELS Blog.
ELS (Environmental Landscape Solutions) is a growing commercial/residential construction company, who specializes in offering clients “Turn Key” service solutions for all work outside of the home or building wall(s). That means yes, we install concrete flat work, pavers, flagstone, bio swales, retaining walls, site grading or excavation, drainage, irrigation, landscaping, mitigation plantings, steel or wood structures and pergolas or gazebos. ELS also specializes in outdoor kitchens, fireplaces, fire pits, bocce ball courts, horse shoe pits, natural lawn areas, synthetic turf, playgrounds, water features, fish ponds, pottery, a/c screens, low voltage lighting and vegetable boxes. If someone is unsure of what they want or how to build it, ELS also has an in house Designer, that can Custom Design an Outdoor Use Area or Window View, to sooth your dreams you can or cannot even imagine. ELS will also bring in a select list of Pool Contractors, Solar Contractors, Electricians or General Contractors, for any additional improvement(s) that we “Currently”, do not install with our own ELS employees. Once your project is complete, ELS can then provide a highly trained Maintenance Division, to help maintain and develop your new landscape investment.
Currently, ELS has crews and projects in the Sacramento and Bay Area regions, with well over 150 employees. Moving forward, ELS has an eye on expanding into Reno, Nevada, Central California and the Los Angeles/Southern California housing market(s). The housing industry is still on an upward projection for the next few years, with a growing demand by home owners to create “Low Maintenance”, “Family Specific”, “Outdoor Living or Play Spaces”. Need “Wi-Fi” in your backyard or an “Outdoor TV” to watch while barbequing, we can help you there as well.
Life moves quickly, and the more time we spend at work, going to school, volunteering or away from the home, means that the time we do get to be home, needs to be full of quality R&R time, so we can get rested and go back to work or school and be the best we can be.
Contact ELS today for a free consult on how we can help you create an incredible solution to your home or improve your outdoor Living Spaces use areas at your business, school or commercial property. In the meantime you can click on the below link to our website or search for us on our social media accounts, to see what we are currently working on or have just completed.
Thank you,
ELS

Website: www.els-green.com

Instagram/Facebook: els7623

Main Office Phone Number: (916) 388-0308

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This Blog will discuss various issues and solutions regarding the current California Home Construction Industry.

If you ask any home builders, developers or contractors, California continues to be one of the toughest and most expensive States to build new homes in. For perspective home buyers, it is even worse. Home prices continue to rise and there is not even enough homes on the market to meet the growing demand. Yes, California is ranked 6th in the World, Economy wise, and yes you can drive from the San Francisco Bay Area to the majestic Lake Tahoe in a half day. But there is a housing shortage that continues to plague this great state and there does not look like a simple solution to solving this problem, if no action is taken. In recent years, in just Norther California alone, home builders have been building and selling around 4,500 homes a year. The reality is, that there needs to be more like 10,000 – 12,000 homes built or sold each year, to meet the amount of people looking to purchase. So why the shortage? There are many reasons, but the main reasons are due to a shortage of skilled laborers, the amount of time and permitting fees associated with the build process and the various zoning laws that chokehold developers and builders by limiting where they can build.

So what can be done to fix these issues? YIMBY

What is YIMBY? Here are a few quotes from a recent n a recent article in Forbes “Over the last few years, there have been a host of self-described “Yimby” organizations (“yes in my backyard”) that have popped up in different cities, especially liberal ones, where the housing prices are highest and the anti-development sentiment is strongest.”
“A YIMBY is someone who thinks it’s good for their city to grow. They might come to that conclusion for a variety of reasons. Some yimbys are motivated by the environmental benefits of density, they want to protect agricultural land and natural areas. Some yimbys like density because they don’t want to have to drive and they like having access to diversity of people and arts. I’m in it because I believe in open borders. People have all kinds of reasons to move to the city. I want them to be able to.”

The above quotes from Forbes illustrates that the solution, lies within the people of this Great State, to start taking action in order for the change to come sooner than later. This link, https://archpaper.com/2018/01/wave-affordable-housing-soon-wash-ashore-california/, form “The Architect’s Newspaper” provides hope in the form of new Legislation that is in the works. Again, we need to support these bills and those behind them, if we are going to help solve the housing crisis that continues to grow.

As for the labor shortage, this is a result of many factors and is not as simple to solve. Simply put, more young people today are on a fast track to college and student loan debt, with even less successfully acquiring a college degree and a well paid job afterwards. For most of our youth, unless you are destined for college or the military, there are not many options other than local retail type jobs. Most company owners in the construction industry have not invested enough time or energy in cultivating new employees, as it is an industry based on word of mouth or minimalist advertising. As a parent, you generally tell your children that they need to go to college and earn a degree and become successful. While this may work out for some, most young adults do not realize the potential of joining a skilled trade union or a construction company at an early age, and work their way up. Since there is such a demand for skilled labor, most companies are willing to train inexperienced people, so that they can eventually earn similar wages as college graduates, without the crippling student debt. The vast majority of high schools no longer have shop classes to offer students. This may be another reason why so many students are dropping out of school than ever before. We all need to help out our industry and our youth. Now is the time to be part of the solution.

Thank you,
ELS

Website: www.els-green.com Instagram/Facebook: els7623 Main Office Phone Number: (916) 388-0308

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