This USC student residence, built in the 1920s,
may not be able to withstand a significant earthquake.
(photo by Alaena Hostetter)

Older Housing Not Up to Current Code

Scientists praised California building codes after a 5.4 earthquake hit Los Angeles in the summer of 2008 but caused no serious damages. Seismologist Lucy Jones told CNN the damage was minimized because the earthquake hit an area composed almost entirely of buildings constructed in 1995, after the code reflected lessons learned from the 1994 Northridge earthquake. 

"The most modern construction is really much, much better to withstand earthquakes than earlier buildings," said Jones, who works with the U.S. Geological Survey. "There weren't many older buildings nearby."

But what would happen if the quake did hit an area with older buildings? That is a question many students at the University of Southern California should be asking. Although USC has been thoroughly retrofitted to withstand earthquakes, off-campus housing has not, and many of these buildings were erected before the California codes were put in place and have not been modified since.

California follows the International Building Code, which was originally published in 1997 and is constantly revised and updated. But only buildings constructed after the code was published need to comply with the code's guidelines; the law seldom demands the retrofitting of older buildings.

Building codes have been around since the 1970s, according to structural engineer Craig Comartin, former president of the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute. Buildings created in the last 25 years are "quite a bit better than the ones built before that," he said. 

So if a building went up before 1997 and was never retrofitted, it is not safeguarded by the measures suggested by the International Building Code. If a building is more than 25 years old, it might be even more unsafe. This is potentially bad news for USC students who live in buildings constructed 40 to 50 years ago. These buildings likely have not had any earthquake retrofitting done to them since.

The apartment complex at 1286 W. Adams Blvd., just a few blocks north of campus, may be especially vulnerable to an earthquake. The boxy two-story complex is located on the corner of Ellendale Place, a popular street for students living off campus, and has "tucked-in" parking spots, or those situated on the ground level with part of the apartment supported directly overhead. A common feature in constructions around the USC campus, these tucked-in spaces create what the Southern California Earthquake Center Web site, daretoprepare.org, calls "soft stories," because they are prone to collapse during an earthquake.

A building can have these "soft stories" and still comply with city building codes, making them more earthquake-safe. According to Comartin, the newer codes explain the kinds of forces an engineer needs to prepare for when constructing an edifice, and tucked-in garages can be built to withstand those forces. 

But the complex at 1286 West Adams was constructed long before the codes were put into place. The property belongs to Cal Student Housing, one of the largest housing providers in the University Park area and a popular choice among students. The building was constructed in 1960, but no earthquake retrofitting has been done since, according to records at the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety. 

Cal Student Housing did not respond to requests for comment.

Apartment complexes are not the only buildings with potential structural problems when it comes to earthquake safety. The old houses students rent are also likely to be structurally deficient. Many of these houses were built well over 25 years ago, some as far back as the 1920s, and have not had any official retrofitting done to them since their construction.

The residence at 1147 30th St., home to 10 USC students, is just one example. According to city records, the property built its final adjunction in 1924, and no other official modifications have been done since.

"We joke that our house is old," said Natalie Greenberg, one of the students living in the house, adding that she did not know her home was a potential earthquake hazard. "It's kind of scary, but you can't do anything about it," she said. 

Greenberg, who will live there until she graduates in May 2009, said that if she were going to live there much longer she might be more concerned and would consider demanding some changes. But since she, like many students, only lives at a residence for a year at a time, it is more convenient for her to take a chance with safety.

Earthquake safety was not a priority in house hunting, Greenberg said. Even after she learned her house had not been retrofitted, she said, the information would not have affected her decision to live there. "I would rather live somewhere close to the school than somewhere that is farther but more stable."

The house Greenberg lives in looks anything but stable. The two-story home, like many others on 30th Street, looks like a dilapidated version of a famous Victorian house. It also presents some structurally unsafe additions, like a flimsy wooden staircase in the back of the building that residents claim they are afraid to use. Matthew Resnick, another student who lives in the building, suspects the landlord himself built the staircase.

"I feel like he built a lot of stuff; he is savvy in terms of building things," Resnick said, who has been living on 30th Street since August 2008 and likes his house because of the rent price and its convenient location. "He's probably done a lot with this house that he doesn't have a permit for."

USC senior Matthew Resnick shows us a staircase
his landlord likely built on his own.
© Alaena Hostetter

Resnick might be right, since city records show no permits for modifications of any kind since the house was built in the 1920s.

Next door to Greenberg and Resnick's house is a plain, one-story building hidden by used couches, old rusted barbecue grills and broken tables. Many Trojans are willing to settle here because the property is in a great location and the rent is cheap.

While earthquake safety may not be a concern for USC students, security is. That two-story building with the tucked-in parking spots on Adams was never retrofitted, but the homeowner did obtain a permit in 1996 to install security bars on seven units, according to city records.

A lot of the retrofitting in the area also seems to reflect students' desire for comfort. A building at 2621 Magnolia Ave., a few blocks away from Resnick's house, was built in 1930 and has not had any official earthquake-related retrofitting done to it since its construction. But in 2002 and 2003, the building was issued permits for re-roofing, replacing dry-wall, and patching and painting all of its units.

Homeowners are not obligated to disclose the structural hazards of their properties to their tenants, according to Mark Benthien, director of communication, education and outreach at the Southern California Earthquake Center, an organization headquartered at USC. When selling a property, the seller must comply with a natural hazards disclosure and inform the buyer of any hazards that the seller is aware of - but no such disclosure is necessary when it comes to putting a place up for rent.

While some types of construction, like brick masonry buildings, are required to be retrofitted by law, Benthien said the vast majority of building owners will never be required to retrofit.

"The city will never have the political will to impose that cost on building owners," Benthien said.

USC is well aware of the potential problems present in the buildings around the community. According to Steven Goldfarb, USC fire safety and emergency planning specialist, the university commissioned a report two years ago that analyzed how nearby areas would react in an earthquake. Goldfarb said the report, which was done by the earthquake center, showed significant damage in the areas around campus.

"We plan for USC and we look for hazards that will affect USC," Goldfarb said. "[The report] helps us understand and paint a better picture of what the community needs might be."

Goldfarb confirmed that USC-owned structures have been retrofitted for earthquakes, but since USC is aware of the potential hazards in the community, the university has a disaster plan that takes into account students living off-campus, and it is ready to provide food, water, shelter and transportation to all those in need during an emergency situation. 

"What our plan does account for is that any student that needs any kind of help is going to get that help," Goldfarb said.

That does not mean, however, that students living off-campus should rely heavily on the university. 

"People in residential buildings should have their own plan," Goldfarb said. He stressed the importance of students owning their own emergency supplies because there is no way to predict the outcome of a natural disaster.