"We understand the need to ensure that soft-story buildings have the structural integrity needed to endure an earthquake when the big one occurs," said Jeremy Barousse, director of policy and organizing at Amigos de Guadalupe Center for Justice and Empowerment. "But how we craft policy to address this issue should not compromise our ability to advance key priorities such as community stabilization and affordability, which are paramount to solving our housing crisis."
San Jose's new soft-story ordinance, passed Tuesday, targets primarily older two-story residential buildings constructed before the state imposed greater seismic standards. This ordinance could potentially impact an estimated 3,500 buildings, 24,000 units, or 72,000 residents.
Housing advocates have raised the red flag over fears that rents for some of the city's most vulnerable populations could increase due to these required fixes and a proposal to offset some costs by diverting affordable housing funds over the next 10 years - exacerbating the crisis even further.
Sandwiched between the San Andreas, Hayward, and Calveras fault lines, San Jose's older buildings are likely to incur major damages if an earthquake occurs, with estimates ranging from $4.7 billion to $14.9 billion. A large earthquake could also lead to the displacement of thousands of residents.
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