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Board advances mandatory retrofit ordinance for soft-story buildings in first reading; unanimous vote
Summary
The Board of Supervisors passed on first reading an ordinance April 2 establishing a mandatory seismic retrofit program for certain wood‑frame "soft‑story" residential buildings built before 1978, targeting roughly 3,000 buildings and affecting an estimated 58,000 residents.
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed an ordinance in its first reading on April 2 to create a mandatory seismic retrofit program for certain soft‑story, wood‑frame residential buildings constructed before Jan. 1, 1978, and not yet seismically strengthened.
Sponsor Supervisor Scott Wiener described the legislation as overdue and framed it as a measure to preserve housing and save lives in the event of a major earthquake. "This legislation is long, long overdue," Wiener said, and he emphasized the goal of enabling the maximum number of residents to shelter in place by stabilizing vulnerable housing stock.
The ordinance targets buildings with five or more units and three or more stories — the city’s most vulnerable housing stock — and staff estimated the program would affect…
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