Owners of single-family homes in the City of West Hollywood can now apply to a statewide Earthquake Brace + Bolt (EBB) incentive program developed by the California Residential Mitigation Program to help homeowners defray the cost of seismic retrofits to their houses. Owners of houses in ZIP codes 90046, 90048, and 90069 are eligible to apply for a randomly selected limited number of seismic retrofit grants of up to $3,000 to help pay costs associated with retrofitting houses to lessen earthquake damage.
The purpose of the program is to help homeowners lessen the potential for damage to their houses during an earthquake by “bracing” the crawl space, when necessary, and “bolting” the foundation to the frame of a house. EBB has helped thousands of California homeowners to complete retrofits. During the 2021 program, EBB is offering an additional Supplemental Grant to help low-income homeowners pay for a seismic retrofit.
Registration for the EBB Program is currently open. Homeowners can find participation details at www.EarthquakeBraceBolt.com. Registration will be open for a limited time; once registration ends, qualifying homeowners will be selected through a random drawing, after which they will be notified if they have been selected, or if they have been placed on the waiting list.
Residential seismic retrofitting strengthens older homes, making them more resistant to incurring damage during an earthquake. This is done by bolting a house to its foundation to improve the connection between the wood framing and the concrete foundation, and by adding plywood bracing around the perimeter of the crawl space to keep the house from toppling off of its foundation.
The Earthquake Brace + Bolt (EBB) Program is part of the California Residential Mitigation Program (CRMP), a joint-exercise-of-powers entity formed by its members, the California Earthquake Authority (CEA), and the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES).
For information about the EBB Program or the California Residential Mitigation Program, and to register for the program, please visit www.EarthquakeBraceBolt.com.
For information regarding obtaining building permits or general Building and Safety questions, please call the City of West Hollywood at (323) 848-6475. For people who are Deaf or hard of hearing, please call TTY (323) 848-6496.
