Home permits fall

Residential building permit activity in Los Angeles County took a big tumble last month, falling nearly 70 percent from last year's levels. Gregory J. Wilcox in the Daily News.

The Los Angeles/Ventura Chapter of the Building Industry Association of Southern California said 275 permits for single- and multi-family housing were filed in July, compared with 901 a year earlier.

In addition to the sour economy, the group blamed some of the drop on expensive fire sprinkler and green building requirements that took effect Jan. 1.