When a major earthquake strikes the Bay Area, a significant amount of San Francisco's housing may be too damaged to live in while it’s being repaired. The city has a limited number of emergency-shelter beds, and its ability to provide interim housing is constrained by low vacancy rates and minimal vacant land. This means San Francisco is at risk of losing its most important asset: its people.
To avoid a slow and arduous recovery, the city will need its residents to stay and help get schools, businesses and other community services functioning again. We believe San Francisco should take steps now to ensure that, after a major earthquake, most residents can “shelter in place” — i.e., stay in their own homes while they are being repaired. In this SPUR report, our Shelter-in-Place Task Force makes a set of detailed recommendations to help San Francisco strengthen its housing and become a truly resilient city.
The SPUR Board of Directors reviewed, debated and adopted this report as official policy on November 16, 2011.
Safe Enough to Stay was made possible by the generous support of the U.S. Geological Survey and Degenkolb Engineers.
SPUR staff: Sarah Karlinsky, SPUR Deputy Director
Interns: Amy Dhaliwal and John Pham of the Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center
Shelter-in-Place Task Force:
Christopher Barkley, URS Corporation
Jack Boatwright, U.S. Geological Survey
David Bonowitz, Structural Engineer**
Mary Comerio, Professor of Architecture, University of California, Berkeley
Bryce Dickinson, Rutherford and Chekene
Laura Dwelley-Samant, Consultant**
Lucas Eckroad, Department of Emergency Management, City and County of San Francisco
David Friedman, Forell/Elsesser Engineers Inc.
Laurie Johnson, Laurie Johnson Consulting | Research
Keith Knudsen, U.S. Geological Survey
Laurence Kornfield, Earthquake Safety Implementation Program, City and County of San Francisco**
Joe Maffei, Rutherford and Chekene
Mike Mieler, Doctoral Candidate, University of California, Berkeley
Steven Murphy, Seifel Consulting
John Paxton, Real Estate Consultant
Chris Poland, Degenkolb Engineers*
David Schwartz, U.S. Geological Survey
Heidi Sieck, Kennedy School of Government
Debra Walker, Building Inspection Commission, City and County of San Francisco
* Task Force Chair
** Subcommittee Chair
