Posted on 09/22/2005 12:49:06 PM PDT by SmithL
San Francisco -- Rebuilding San Francisco after a major earthquake would change its human face, hastening gentrification and driving out poor and elderly residents, experts and city officials warn.
Experts say there's a 62 percent chance a quake with a magnitude of 6.7 or higher will hit the San Francisco Bay area within several decades — or tomorrow. Thousands of homes would be rendered uninhabitable, displacing up to 300,000 residents, almost half the city's population, according to some projections.
A major issue would be creating replacement housing for the poor in one of the nation's most expensive markets. About 16,000 San Francisco residents live in public housing projects, and many more are packed into illegally subdivided properties as a way to afford rent.
"The people with the fewest resources are going to be the ones who will completely lose their homes and once they're rebuilt, they won't be able to afford them," said seismologist Mary Lou Zoback of the U.S. Geological Survey. "There's this looming problem that's not so different from the levees in New Orleans breaching."
One reason San Francisco's housing stock would be so hard-hit is because the city is a notoriously pricey place to live — especially to own a home. Sixty-five percent of its residents are renters, second only to New York City.
Enduring political support for rent control has enabled the city to maintain some economic diversity, but Zoback said it also adds to the problem, providing little incentive for landlords to bring their buildings up to safety codes.
According to the San Francisco Housing Data Book, the city had 146,000 rent-controlled apartments in 2002, accounting for about 75 percent of rental units.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
Counting...1...2...3
Are we just counting on an endless string of disasters now?
Rent control? Another terrific idea. Oh boy.
This earthquake is a nightmare waiting to happen -and just about nothing can be done to ease the outcome of a substantial quake.
Of course it would all be Bush's Fault.
Let's not forget global warming, SUV's, and the 2nd Amendment.
And this story is relevant now why????????????????????
How much stupid does it take to feel the need to write this story?
...Housing there being so plentiful and cheap now.
And housing is some of the most expensive in the country - does anyone see a cause and effect?
I guess this means Katrina's 15 minutes of fame are up. lol
Are the wire services hard up for disasters?
Seriously, all I can say when I read stories like this is "puuulleeeez!" I lived in and around the San Francisco bay area for 30 years. Always with the worst case senarios' and dire predictions. The story I would like to see is "Major earthquake his bay area........Berkeley has slid under Emeryville! Few seviving moonbats vow to take their heads out of thier asses and become conservative!"
Here's a tip to Sodom Francisco... Don't live there you a-holes! You fall in a big hole..., get yourself out!
By the way, when the big one hits and you're left homeless, don't write asking for money! Because you won't get any! You wanna live on top of the San Andreas, then you pay the piper pal.
Actually, it would be a fault's fault. And you really can't fault the fault. That's just what faults do.
I can't fault your logic.
; )
"Here's a tip to Sodom Francisco... Don't live there you a-holes! You fall in a big hole..., get yourself out!"
Stealin' THAT.
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