You May Be Eligible for $3,000 Earthquake Brace + Bolt Seismic Retrofit Program Grant
More California homeowners will be eligible for up to $3,000 this year to make their houses less vulnerable to earthquake damage through Earthquake Brace + Bolt (EBB), a program jointly administered by the California Earthquake Authority (CEA) and the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES).
Eligible homeowners can apply for grants online during the registration period, through March 19, 2020. EBB continues to grow. With additional funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), EBB program will be available in 351 ZIP Codes in 133 cities.
“EBB is growing—creating more resilient communities one house at a time before the next big earthquake,” said Janiele Maffei, chief mitigation officer of CEA and executive director of EBB. “We encourage Californians in designated EBB ZIP Codes to apply for funding through this unique program to help strengthen their house with a seismic retrofit.”
Since the program was founded in 2013, EBB grants have helped more than 9,000 homeowners retrofit their houses. Because older houses are more likely to slide off their foundation during an earthquake, an EBB seismic retrofit braces the cripple walls, when present, and bolts the house to the foundation making the house more resistant to earthquake damage.
“Living in California, we need to protect our families by strengthening older homes, which are
particularly vulnerable to earthquake damage,” said CEA CEO Glenn Pomeroy. “CEA is committed to providing financial incentives, including up to a 25 percent discount on earthquake insurance premiums for homes that have been properly retrofit.”
More than 1.2 million houses in high-hazard areas are particularly vulnerable to earthquakes
because of the type of construction, according to the CEA. These homes are typically built before 1980, are wood framed with a raised foundation and may have a cripple wall in the crawl space under the house.
Eligible homeowners can apply for retrofit funding at EarthquakeBraceBolt.com, where they can also find detailed program information, select Saber as a FEMA-trained, California licensed general contractor, and view the full list of eligible ZIP Codes in the following program areas:
Alhambra, Altadena, Arcadia, Azusa, Baldwin Park, Banning, Beaumont, Beverly Hills, Burbank, Cherry Valley, Claremont, Colton, Covina, Corona, Eastvale, El Monte, Fillmore, Fontana, Glendale, Glendora, Granada Hills, Hemet, Highland, Huntington Park, Irwindale, La Crescenta, Lancaster, La Verne, Littlerock, Los Angeles, Mentone, Mission Hills, Monrovia, Montebello, Monterey Park, Montecito, North Hollywood, Ojai, Oxnard, Pacoima, Pacific Palisades, Palm Springs, Pasadena, Pearblossom, Pico Rivera, Pomona, Redlands, Rosemead, San Bernardino, San Dimas, San Fernando, San Gabriel, San Jacinto, San Marino, Santa Barbara, Santa Monica, Santa Paula, Sherman Oaks, Sierra Madre, South Pasadena, Sun Valley, Sylmar, Temple City, Tujunga, Upland, Valley Glen, Valley Village, Van Nuys, Ventura, West Hollywood, West Whitter, Whitter, Wrightwood, Yucaipa.
To learn how Saber can help you with our seismic strengthening solutions, go to https://www.saberfoundations.com/seismic-retrofitting.html
