Dear Constituent,

Thirty-three years ago this week, the Loma Prieta Earthquake rocked the Bay Area, killing 57 people, including 42 in Oakland when the Nimitz Freeway collapsed. Even though the quake's epicenter was in Santa Cruz County, there was widespread damage throughout our region.

Bolting and bracing your home's foundation is a smart and effective way to limit earthquake damage. If your foundation has not yet had a seismic retrofit, and your home qualifies, you can apply now for a grant of up to $3,000 to help cover the cost. If your household income is $72,080 or under, you may also qualify for a supplemental grant that could help pay 100% of the cost to seismically upgrade your home.

The application period runs from Oct. 18 through Nov. 29. To apply, go here.

Retrofit grants are available through California's Earthquake Brace + Bolt (EBB) program, operated by the California Earthquake Authority and the Governor's Office of Emergency Services. To date, the EBB program has funded more than 17,000 home foundation retrofits statewide.

All grants will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis to eligible applicants, until grant funds run out. Houses that qualify for EBB grants, typically:

• Are built before 1980
• Have a raised continuous perimeter concrete foundation
• Sit on level ground or low slope
• May have wood-framed walls (called cripple walls) in the crawl space under the first floor

This year the EBB program added 126 new eligible zip codes. To see if you live in an area that is eligible for the EBB grant program, go here.  You can also see if your particular home qualifies.

In an EBB retrofit, the foundation is bolted, and if there is a cripple wall, it is braced

• Bolting: adds anchor bolts in the crawl space to help prevent the home from sliding
• Bracing: adds plywood to the cripple walls to stiffen them and help prevent the home from collapsing

For more info on the EBB program rules, go here. Once you qualify for an EBB grant, you must choose a contractor from EBB's Contractor Directory of licensed contractors educated in seismic retrofitting. Go here for more information.

Retrofitting your home's foundation is essential to ensuring that it will not suffer catastrophic damage in a major quake. So, check the links above to see if your zip code and your home qualify, and apply now.

Sincerely,

Nancy Skinner
State Senator, District