$5M in Grants Help California Homeowners Prep for Quakes

November 15, 2021

California’s Earthquake Brace + Bolt grant program is expanding, and it now includes 395 ZIP Codes where qualifying homeowners can get up to $3,000 to offset the cost of completing a seismic retrofit, the California Earthquake Authority announced.

The program is also offering “income-eligible homeowners” a chance to qualify for new supplemental grants Homeowners with an annual household income at or below $72,080 may qualify for the new grants, which may pay for up to 100% of the retrofit cost. The amount will depend on the region and the type of retrofit completed.

EBB grants help offset the cost of seismic retrofits that brace the cripple walls of older homes, when those walls are present in the crawl space, and bolt houses to their foundations, making them less vulnerable to earthquake damage.

With the $5 million in available funding, EBB will offer some 1,700 retrofit grants this year. New ZIP Codes added to the EBB program this year include ZIP Codes in Inglewood, Long Beach, El Centro, Santa Clara and Vallejo, making them available in 170 cities and communities statewide.

The program is available in ZIP Codes that rank high in terms of seismic risk and concentration of older homes. Since the EBB program was established in 2013, EBB grants have reportedly helped more than 15,700 homeowners retrofit their houses.

Through Dec. 1, eligible homeowners can apply for retrofit grant funding at EarthquakeBraceBolt.com, where they can also find program information, select a licensed general contractor and view the full list of eligible ZIP Codes. Once registration closes, participating homeowners will be selected through a random drawing and notified via email if they have been selected or if they have been placed on the wait list.

EBB was stablished by the California Residential Mitigation Program, which was established in 2011 to help Californians strengthen their homes against damage from earthquakes. CRMP is a joint powers authority created by the California Earthquake Authority and the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services.