Several Los Angeles County suburbs remain hesitant to mandate seismic retrofits for vulnerable apartment buildings, even after experiencing notable earthquakes in 2023. This reluctance persists despite clear evidence that mandatory retrofit programs effectively protect residents from collapse risks during major seismic events.
Cities like Alhambra, Monterey Park, and South Pasadena - all of which felt substantial shaking from recent Los Angeles County earthquakes - currently have no active plans to require upgrades for potentially dangerous "soft-story" apartment buildings. These structures, common throughout California, feature ground floors with carports, garages, or retail spaces supported by thin poles that can buckle during earthquakes.
"These are particularly dangerous, hazardous conditions for buildings," explains Garrett Mills, who leads the Structural Engineers Association of Southern California.
The situation creates a concerning patchwork of safety standards across the region. A resident's earthquake safety may depend entirely on which side of a city boundary line their building stands. While some municipalities have enacted strict retrofit requirements, others leave these known vulnerabilities unaddressed.
Success stories demonstrate the effectiveness of mandatory programs. San Francisco passed a soft-story retrofit law in 2013 covering wood-frame buildings with three or more stories and at least five residential units. The result: 94% of the city's 4,941 affected apartment buildings have been strengthened, according to Brian Strong, San Francisco's chief resilience officer.
In Malibu, which experienced earthquakes in both February and September 2023, officials identified 37 potential soft-story buildings requiring attention. However, the city council has yet to indicate whether they will require property owners to reinforce these structures.
The contrast between cities taking action and those maintaining the status quo highlights an ongoing debate about balancing public safety with economic concerns. As California continues to experience seismic activity, the lack of uniform safety standards across neighboring communities raises questions about earthquake preparedness and resident protection.
For thousands of apartment dwellers, their building's resistance to earthquake damage remains a matter of geographic chance rather than consistent safety policy.
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