Here are answers to common questions about how San José's Soft Story Seismic Retrofit Ordinance & Program.

Question List:

• #1: What is a soft story building?
• #2: Why are soft story buildings a concern?
• #3: How many soft story buildings are in San José? How many of these are rent-stabilized buildings?
• #4: Where are soft story buildings located?
• #5: What might be the impacts of an earthquake?
• #6: Are other types of multi-unit buildings a concern? 
• #7: Is the building I own at risk of collapse during an earthquake?
• #8: What is the City doing to address the risk?
• #9: What does a seismic retrofit entail and how much does it cost? 
• #10: Are building owners required to do the retrofit? Is there financial assistance?
• #11: What is the impact of a retrofit project on tenants?

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1. What is a soft story building?

   For the Soft Story Retrofit Ordinance and Program, the City defines soft story buildings as:
   • A wood-frame building with at least three residential units 
   • Built before 1990
   • May have crawl spaces lacking any earthquake retrofit
   • May have levels with large openings used for parking, storage, etc.
      

   Soft story buildings are older multistory buildings with one or more floors having large openings — large windows, wide doors, or ground-level parking garages — with no shear wall or adequate support to provide stability during an earthquake.  

2. Why are soft story buildings a concern?

   Soft story buildings were typically built before the state implemented strict construction standards for earthquake resilience. They have a high risk of collapse or major damage during an earthquake. 
   
   Soft story buildings collapsed or were severely damaged in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake and 1994 Northridge earthquake.
              

   Soft story building in San Francisco that was damaged by the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake.	Soft story building with a collapsed garage level from the 1994 Northridge earthquake.

3. How many soft story buildings are in San José? How many of these are rent-stabilized buildings?

   Based on a visual survey, consultants estimate there are 3,500 soft story residential buildings in San José.* The estimate did not entail any structural analysis or the review of building plans.  
   
   Of the 3,500 soft story buildings, the consultants estimate that about 1,700 are rent-stabilized buildings. This sizeable portion of the City’s affordable housing stock could be damaged or destroyed in a worst-case earthquake.
   
   * Per County Assessor’s Office data, there are 336,000 residential units — single-family and multifamily — in San José. Roughly 156,000 of these units are in buildings with three or more units. The estimated 3,500 soft story buildings in San José represent about 16% of the City's multi-unit housing stock or 7% of the City's total housing stock.
   
   
4.  Where are soft story buildings located?
   
   Soft story buildings are spread across San José, but the highest concentrations are in Downtown and West San José. Using the consultant's estimates, the heat map below shows these locations.
5. What might be the impacts of an earthquake?
   
   Using data from past earthquakes and damages in San Francisco and Los Angeles, expert consultants looked at four earthquake scenarios. The most damaging scenario would be a magnitude 7.1 earthquake on the Monte-Vista Shannon fault along western San José. In such an earthquake, there could be:
   
   
   • 30 deaths 
   • 800 injuries with 25% of these requiring hospitalization
   • Destruction of 240 buildings (1,500 units)
   • Damage to another 860 buildings (6,500 units)
   • Loss of rent-stabilized buildings
   • $6 billion in property damage (including tenants’ belongings and parked cars)
   • The need for tenants to find temporary housing elsewhere for many months.
   • City resource costs, including:
     
     • Firefighting; search & rescue; and public safety
     • Debris removal
     • Emergency shelter and mass feeding
     • Interim housing
     • Financial assistance during recovery
     • Neighborhood effects on jobs and commerce
     • Lost property tax revenue 

6. Are other types of multi-unit buildings a concern?

   Yes. This includes:
   • About 100 hillside condominium buildings with crawl spaces.
   • About 300 Victorian or Edwardian-era rental buildings with cripple walls.
   • Dormitories, group homes, and residential care facilities; these are residents who would be challenged to act during an earthquake or have adequate resources during a post-earthquake recovery. 
     
     

7. Is the building I own at risk of collapse during an earthquake?

   To understand the risks of your building, you should hire a licensed architect or civil engineer who has experience in assessing earthquake risks to buildings. To help, you can observe these visible conditions that indicate a suspected soft story building:
   • Crawl spaces 
   • Multiple garage doors 
   • Open parking stalls
   • Shop windows (rare in San José) 
   • Wood construction
     
     

   Here are examples of conditions that may, or may not, indicate a soft story building. None of the buildings shown here are in San José.

   Not suspected of having a soft story because the wall configuration is identical for both stories.	Not suspected of having a soft story because the first-story walls are reinforced block masonry, not wood.
   Suspected soft story due to multiple garage openings.	Suspected soft story due to likely having a wood-frame cripple wall around the crawl space.

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8. What is the City doing to address the risk?

   After outreach and research, City staff brought a proposal for an ordinance and program to address the risk, and on September 24, 2024, the City Council passed the ordinance and staff are currently preparing the implementation of a retrofit program. Please read the BACKGROUND section at www.bit.ly/SJ-SoftStoryRetrofit to learn more about how this decision was made.

9. What does a retrofit entail and how much does it cost?

   Soft story retrofits may involve reinforcement through the installation of plywood over existing wood stud walls. Where there is an open side — such as parking spaces — steel columns may be installed, and these need their own foundation.
   
   The scope of work is typically confined to the critical story and the foundation. Local engineers — with experience gained from retrofit programs in San Francisco, Oakland, and Berkeley — can do this work correctly and efficiently. 
   
   Due to variations in building size and conditions, there is a wide range of potential costs. New steel and foundation elements will drive costs higher. Including design and construction, costs may be:*
   
   
   • Between $35,000 and $70,000 for a 3-unit or 4-unit building
   • Between $40,000 and $130,000 for a larger building
     
     

   * Source: David Bonowitz, S.E., based on Berkeley and San Francisco mandatory programs. Values are in 2022 dollars and do not include any costs for geohazard mitigation, temporary tenant relocation, or tenant compensation for loss of housing services.

10. Are building owners required to do the retrofit? Is there financial assistance?

    Until the Soft Story Retrofit Ordinance goes into effect on April 2, 2025, retrofits are voluntary, meaning a building owner may decide to do a retrofit and may pass on part or all of the cost to their tenants through rent increases.
    
    The new Ordinance outlines a timeline for required retrofits to be accomplished over the next several years (see implementation details at www.bit.ly/SJ-SoftStoryRetrofit). 
     
    For multifamily rental properties built before September 8, 1979 — which are subject to rent stabilization — owners would have to file a petition with the new City program to pass on all or part of the costs to tenants. If approved by a Hearing Officer, the pass-through of costs would be over a 20-year period. See the Apartment Rent Ordinance regulations for details. 
    
    The City’s goal is to help qualifying property owners cover a portion of retrofit costs. The City is developing a program to offer incentives funded by an existing and future federal grants.
    
    

11. What is the impact of a retrofit project on tenants?  

    Renters could be impacted by construction work, noise, and possibly having to park elsewhere. A main concern is that property owners may need to pass some of the retrofit costs along through rent increases.  
    
    

For more information, please view the main webpage 
at www.bit.ly/SJ-SoftStoryRetrofit