1. United States
2. Wash.
3. Letter

Support House Bill 1810: Preserve the past, protect the future. Minor quakes can cause major damage. House Bill (HB) 1810 addresses the urgent need to retrofit unreinforced masonry buildings (URMs) in Washington, which are at high risk of collapse during an earthquake. URM buildings are essential to community infrastructure, including housing, businesses, schools, and medical facilities. HB 1810 seeks to identify and improve the affordability of seismic retrofits of these structures, ensuring public safety and aligning with efforts to revitalize historic structures and provide affordable housing. Key Points • Washington is the second highest risk in the U.S. for a large earthquake. There is a nearly 90% probability that a damaging earthquake will occur in the state within the next 50 years. • There are an estimated 20-30,000 URMs across Washington State that pose significant safety risk, especially in urban areas and historic main streets where many are used for housing and public services. • Many URMs are located in central urban areas and can be adapted for new uses, including affordable housing, contributing to community revitalization and sustainability. How HB 1810 Works: Funding Options & Financial Incentives 1. Directs the Department of Commerce to study financial incentives for retrofitting URMs, including expanding tax credits and exemptions. 2. Studies non-tax incentives for properties that are tax-exempt, helping to reduce retrofit costs for public buildings. 3. Provides recommendations to the Legislature for feasible opportunities to reduce the financial burden associated with conducting earthquake retrofits of URMs, supporting public safety, earthquake readiness, and affordable housing. URM Inventory 1. Tasks the Washington Emergency Management Division (WA EMD) with completing the statewide inventory of URMs, leveraging existing data and ground-truthing efforts to ensure accuracy. 2. The data will be integrated into the WISAARD database managed by the Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation (DAHP). AIA Washington Council | House Bill 1810 Information | 2025 1 How HB 1810 Supports Existing Efforts HB 1810 supports goals outlined in the 2012 Resilient Washington State Report and the 2017 Resilient Washington Subcabinet Report, both emphasizing the need to retrofit URMs to reduce seismic risk. Adaptive Reuse & Affordable Housing By supporting the inventory and retrofit of URMs across Washington, HB 1810 aligns with state priorities to create more affordable housing. It encourages the adaptive reuse of these structures to increase the availability of affordable housing options in urban areas, helping meet the growing demand for housing while preserving the state’s architectural heritage. Collaboration The WA EMD, DAHP, and other partners (e.g., Commerce, WA DNR, OSPI) are already working on identifying and retrofitting URMs. These efforts are helping to create a comprehensive strategy for using retrofitting as a tool for urban revitalization, affordable housing, and community resilience. It is not a matter of if, but when. Though we cannot predict when the next earthquake will strike, we can predict the poor seismic performance of URMs. Retrofitting URMs will save lives and reduce economic disruptions from Washington’s next major earthquake. The Big One doesn’t have to be a disaster. Thank you for reading!