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60 <br /> <br />Leandro community. This standard, published as a Prescriptive Plan Set for Strengthening <br />Wood-frame Houses for Earthquakes, provides San Leandro homeowners or their <br />contractors with a simple and rapid procedure for obtaining a permit to bolt and brace a <br />typical home foundation system. The Prescriptive Standards are similar to those <br />published in the Uniform Code for Building Conservation and are based on standards <br />which were developed by the "Residential Retrofit and Repair Committee" of the <br />California Building Officials. This committee consisted of structural engineers, building <br />officials and architects, and was organized and supported by both the California Seismic <br />Safety Commission and the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services. The <br />Prescriptive Plan Set - free to any San Leandro resident - is actually a blueprint showing <br />the seismic retrofit details needed for typical wood-frame houses in San Leandro <br />neighborhoods. Once the easy-to-use Plan Set is filled out, the homeowner can take it to <br />the City's "one-stop" permit center, get a few tips from the plan-check engineer (if <br />appropriate), pay a fixed home-retrofit permit fee, and be out the door ready to start work. <br />Homeowner's List of Earthquake Contractors - Because of potential liability, municipal <br />agencies generally will not certify or recommend private contractors for residents. For <br />homeowners concerned about earthquakes, however, this lack of local guidance adds yet <br />another obstacle in the way of home strengthening. In San Leandro, residents interested <br />in finding qualified contractors to bid on their home-retrofit job can obtain the <br />Homeowner's List of Earthquake Contractors. This is a reference file, maintained by the <br />City's Building Regulations Division, that lists general contractors who have "successfully <br />completed" the City's home-retrofit Contractor Workshop. Homeowners who would like <br />to hire a contractor to perform their seismic upgrades now have ready access to detailed <br />references and background information about contractors which simplifies the hiring <br />process. Contractors must maintain top quality standards in order to remain on file with <br />the City. The Association of Bay Area Government (ABAG) also maintains a list of <br />contractors that have attended the ABAG One Day Workshop on Seismic Retrofit of Wood- <br />Frame Buildings. <br />Tool-Lending Library - As an incentive to "do-it-yourselfers" who want to strengthen <br />their own homes - but who lack the necessary tools - the City maintains a Tool Lending <br />Library. This resource, administered by the City's Building Regulations Division, allows <br />residents who use the Prescriptive Home-Strengthening Plan Set to borrow, free of <br />charge, most of the tools they may need to complete the retrofit job. <br />Limited Financial Assistance Available - Strengthening single-family homes is a <br />"private property issue" that cannot easily be paid for through local tax measures or <br />encouraged through penalties. At the present time, the City is exploring options for a <br />community-wide financial incentive program to encourage home earthquake <br />strengthening. In the meantime, low-income residents are already benefiting from a <br />financial assistance program. The City's Housing Division has set aside a portion of its <br />block-grant funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for <br />grants and low-interest loans to low-income homeowners specifically for home <br />earthquake strengthening. For San Leandro homeowners in the Earthquake <br />99