The deadline for a grant program enabling homeowners, landlords and property owners to seismically retrofit select houses has been extended to Oct. 17, the California Residential Mitigation Program said.
Owners can receive grants of up to $10,000 to retrofit select houses that are vulnerable to earthquake damage.
This is the first time the Earthquake Brace + Bolt grant program has been opened to non-primary residential property owners, meaning landlords can apply to retrofit rentals.
The grant program is managed by the CRMP, a joint powers authority formed in 2011 by two state agencies — the California Earthquake Authority and the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services.
Grants of $3,000 will be awarded to offset the cost of seismic retrofitting, specifically the cost of bolting houses to their foundations and bracing crawl space walls. According to the CRMP, these types of seismic upgrades can reduce earthquake damage.
“By opening eligibility to include non-owner-occupied residential properties, we are helping ensure more of California’s older homes, including rentals, can be strengthened against earthquake damage,” said Janiele Maffei, chief mitigation officer for the CRMP. “Retrofitting is one of the most effective ways to reduce the risk of severe damage in a major quake, protecting both residents and the communities they call home.”
Over $20 million in grant funding is available to properties in ZIP codes throughout Northern California, including the Bay Area.
Eligible properties must have been built before 1980 and have wood frames and raised foundations, CRMP officials said.
In addition to grants of $3,000, homeowners with an annual income of $89,040 or below may be eligible for an additional $7,000 in grant funding. CRMP estimates that this extra funding could help cover the cost of a full seismic retrofit.
Grant applications are being accepted through Oct. 17 at earthquakebracebolt.com.
I’ve been signed up for over a year – basically you sign up to get on a lottery …. if your name comes up then you get the go ahead to have the construction done – then have it inspected – then you apply for the refund if approved….. still waiting
We got approved for the retrofit but decided to not go through with it to better understand some issues that the inspections had found. The issues turned out to be minor after more inspections and discussions. We signed up for the retrofit again and got approved again. I never got the sense that it was a “lottery” but that it was based on available funds. We used Golden Bay Foundation Builders for the retrofit and were happy with them. We did not need to apply for a refund. The EBB program pays the contractor directly. Our out of pocket cost was about $500.
This is great news. As I am currently Owner of two properties but will soon be Sole Owner/Landlord to one.
I see, this wouldn’t apply to my stucco home, area,
nor the extension date. Good grant and extension for those that do qualify. Hope they get the help.