[masraum]

Originally Posted by cstreit

Part of the issue I see there is poor erosion control. Its probably exacerbated by the drought. Homes also built up against hillsides where those occasionally slump and push them off the foundations.

Limited land and a rush to build...

Yep, and I'm guessing insufficient prep of the site for a home based on the geology of the site.

I feel like there's an engineer of some sort, somewhere that would have said "you shouldn't build there, but if you do, you need to make sure you do X, Y, and Z to make sure the house doesn't slide down the hill.