Only 7 Days Left to Get $3,000 from California for Your Roof

The California Earthquake Brace + Bolt (EBB) initiative, overseen by the Earthquake Authority alongside the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, is currently welcoming applications from homeowners seeking grants for earthquake retrofitting. This initiative is designed to provide financial assistance of up to $3,000 to qualifying homeowners to undertake necessary seismic upgrades. The period for submitting applications is set from January 10 to February 21, 2024.

For detailed eligibility requirements, interested applicants are encouraged to check their eligibility online.

To qualify for the EBB grant, homeowners must meet specific criteria. The program targets properties constructed before 1980 that are primarily owner-occupied, built on a raised foundation, and situated within specific ZIP codes identified by the EBB program.

This emphasis on pre-1980s homes is due to their prevalent architectural shortcomings, notably the absence of proper anchoring to their foundations and the lack of adequate bracing in the crawl spaces’ wood-framed walls. According to information available on the EBB’s official website, these structural deficiencies pose a significant risk during seismic events, potentially leading to the displacement or collapse of houses from their foundations. Retrofitting efforts aim to mitigate these risks by enhancing the structural integrity of these older homes.

Highlighting the importance of these retrofitting measures, Joe Demers, a civil engineer with Alpha Structural, underscores the potential hazards, stating, “In earthquakes, houses can literally fall off their foundations if the ground moves side-to-side. We frequently see such failures during earthquakes.”

Since its launch in 2013, the EBB program has grown to include an additional 200 ZIP codes, offering its registration window once a year for 30 days. Over the course of its operation, the program has successfully facilitated the retrofitting of 23,000 homes. Despite these efforts, it is estimated that more than a million homes in California still require seismic improvements to enhance their safety and resilience against earthquakes.

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