Grants available for seismic retrofitting of homes

Lancaster and many Palmdale residents are eligible for a state program that provides grants to allow homeowners to retrofit their homes for earthquake safety.

The Earthquake Brace + Bolt program is a state program that provides grants of up to $3,000 to homeowners for seismic retrofits in specific eligible areas.

Residents of Lancaster in the 93534, 93535 and 93536 ZIP codes are eligible, as are those living in Palmdale in the 93550 and 93543 ZIP codes.

Lancaster and Littlerock residents were eligible for the program, last year, but this is the first time areas of Palmdale and Lake Los Angeles have been included.

As the name suggests, the retrofits consist of either adding anchor bolts in the crawl space beneath a house to improve the connection between the wood frame and concrete foundation, or bracing in the crawl space to help prevent the house from toppling off its foundation.

Houses that meet the specifications for these types of retrofits are typically woodframe construction built before 1980, built on a level or low slope and have a raised foundation, among other qualifications.

The program has also expanded to provide supplemental grants to income-eligible households to cover up to the entire cost of the seismic retrofit. To qualify, homeowners must have an annual income at or below $72,080.

The amount of the supplemental grant will depend on the region and type of retrofit completed, according to program officials.

“EBB’s growth is a testament to the importance of preparing for the next big earthquake,” said Janiele Maffei, chief mitigation officer of the California Earthquake Authority and executive director of EBB. “Bolting houses to their foundations and bracing the crawl space walls can help Californians protect their families, their homes and their investments. We’re pleased to extend additional support to income-eligible homeowners to help cover up to 100% of the cost of a seismic retrofit, and we encourage all eligible homeowners in EBB ZIP Codes to apply for funding now.”

The program has $5 million in available funding this year, which means it may offer approximately 1,700 retrofit grants.

Applications for the program are open through Dec. 1.

Registration and information is available at EarthquakeBraceBolt.com, where homeowners may also find a listing of FEMA-trained, California-licensed general contractors who may perform the retrofit.