ESIP Task A.5.a

 

The Earthquake Retrofit Fair

Public Financing Option

The City is offering a public financing option through AllianceNRG/ Counterpointe Sustainable Real Estate (CounterpointeSRE) to help property owners make soft story retrofit improvements to their properties more affordable. PACE Financing is offered for thousands of risk mitigation, energy efficiency, and water conservation improvements. Property owners can enhance the property’s value while also promoting a more sustainable and safer environment.

PACE Financing isn’t a loan. It is a non-ad valorem assessment added to your property taxes and backed by a municipal bond issuance. The assessment is collected as an additional line item on your regular property tax bill

CounterpointeSRE Program provides terms up to 30 years, fixed interest rates, and no balloon payment. San Francisco Rent Control Board allows 100& passthrough of the soft story retrofit PACE financing to tenants. The program is designed to help real estate owners free cash flow so they maximize investment in their future and the resilience of San Francisco.

Quick Facts:

• Allows property owners to finance seismic improvements to comply with the Soft Story Mandatory Retrofit Program (MRP)
• 100% financing of project, including all permits, inspections and design
• Closing costs can be capitalized
• Maturities between 5-30 years
• Fixed interest rate over the life of the assessment
• No balloon payment; assessments are self-amortizing
• Prepayment is not required upon sale or refinancing of the property
• Financing for other energy efficiency, water, and renewable generation improvements can also be included.
• Based on City ordinance, 100% of financing cost can be passed along to tenants
• We have worked with industry leaders to transform our initial program into this full-service financing option offering attractive rates as well as 30 year terms and upfront financing for design costs.

 

Download Informational Flyer

 

 

 

Click Here to Apply!

Background

More than a dozen financial institutions, including private banks, credit unions and non-profit lenders, answered the Mayor and Board's call for a comprehensive financing package. A menu of financing options has been complied to allow building owners to have many options to finance these retrofits. This includes the above public financing option as well as a number of private lenders.

 

Mayor Lee and Director Otellini meets with local and national banks
to discuss financing upgrades.

 

More than a dozen lenders were on hand to answer questions one-on-one
for the thousand or so gathered property owners at the Soft Story Finance Workshop.

 

2013 SOFT STORY FINANCE WORKSHOP: The Earthquake Safety Implementation Program (ESIP) and the San Francisco Apartment Association (SFAA) co-hosted a finance workshop for property owners with questions about financing their soft story upgrades. A dozen lenders, representing a diverse cross section of lending institutions, were on hand to answer questions for the thousand or so property owners in attendance.

Owners needing to secure financing for their retrofits can either contact one of the private lenders offering assistance or apply through the City’s public financing option.

Click here to download a list of possible lenders.

Please note: This list represents only lenders who participated in the 2013 Soft Story Finance Workshop co-hosted by ESIP and SFAA, and is not an endorsement.