Page 38 - AAGLA-JULY 2022

Member Update
many as 270,000 people could be displaced from their homes when the next major earthquake strikes Los Angeles. Other potential impacts, cited in the United States Geological Survey’s (USGS) Shake-Out scenario include:
• 1,800 deaths
• 1,600 fires
• 750 people trapped inside buildings
• 50,000 emergency room visits
• 19 days of search and rescue efforts
What if, instead of spending $500,000 to $800,000 for a single, new, affordable housing unit, we had invested some of those funds in a much more cost-effective option of improving the condition of existing apartment units? After all, the 270,000 people at risk of displacement far exceeds the 66,436 people counted as homeless in Los Angeles County in 2020. Seismic retrofits have the potential to protect far more residents in the long run.
Yes, funding is needed for both. But protecting and preserving existing housing units is too often overlooked as a part of the solution to our region’s housing crisis. Must we wait until the disaster happens to act? Seismic retrofits of vulnerable buildings can help to stave off incredibly serious social and economic consequences that could cripple the Los Angeles region for many years following a major earthquake. We’ve seen what happens following disasters, including constrained housing supply resulting from the loss of housing due to damage or destruction which also rapidly drives up the cost of available housing causing displacement of even more residents. This situation, in turn, could lead to a drastic reduction in the available workforce and a drop in consumer spending that pushes local economies into a downward spiral.
During 2018, Arizona conducted a full-scale earthquake drill based on the anticipated scenario that 400,000 Southern California evacuees will be displaced there
seeking shelter following a massive earthquake. The reason for this anticipated wave of earthquake refugees was simple: Southern California simply has too many buildings that are vulnerable to earthquakes.
Resilience Benefits Everyone
Resilience is essential to maintaining a well-functioning society. Resilience ensures:
•Protection of affordable housing stock: Preserving this housing helps to avoid catastrophic displacement and homelessness.
• Economic stability: Studies show widespread homelessness and joblessness from a major earthquake can trigger billions of dollars of economic loss throughout California.
•Environmental health: Many seismically vulnerable buildings contain toxic materials such as asbestos and lead. Preventing damage to these structures averts widespread exposure which can impact humans and nature, and that avoids disposing of ruins in landfills.
Ultimately, identifying our most vulnerable buildings and retrofitting them for greater earthquake resilience keeps our society healthy and protects our economy. These results benefit everyone. Because of these great benefits, we need to continue working to find ways to make the retrofit process easier for owners of vulnerable apartment buildings.
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38 JULY 2022 • WWW.AAGLA.ORG
Ali Sahabi, a licensed General Engineering Contractor (GEC), is an expert in seismic resilience and sustainability. He is Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Optimum Seismic, Inc., which has completed more than 3,500 seismic retrofitting and renovation projects for multifamily residential, commercial, and industrial buildings throughout California. For more information visit www.optimumseismic.com.
(310) 721-0129