California property owners received a significant boost this week as the state's Earthquake Brace + Bolt program opened its second registration window for 2025, marking the first time in the program's 12-year history that rental properties and non-primary residences are eligible for seismic safety grants.
The registration period, running from August 20 through October 1, comes as Southern California has experienced its highest earthquake activity in decades. CBS Los Angeles reports that by mid-August, the region had recorded 13 earthquakes measuring magnitude 4.0 or greater—well above the typical annual average of 10 to 12.
The California Residential Mitigation Program announced the historic expansion following "unprecedented demand" from the January registration period, which saw nearly 19,000 homeowners register for grants, according to CRMP. The program offers up to $3,000 to help retrofit wood-framed homes built before 1980 with raised foundations, targeting structures vulnerable to earthquake damage.
Record Funding Available
More than $20 million in grant funding will be available to offset seismic retrofit costs, with property owners across over 1,100 eligible ZIP codes now able to apply. According to California Earthquake Authority, income-eligible homeowners with household incomes of $87,360 or less may qualify for supplemental grants that could cover up to 100 percent of retrofit costs.
"Expanding retrofit grants to rental properties means CRMP will provide even greater protection for California's housing stock and the families who call these properties 'home,'" said Tom Welsh, Chief Executive Officer of the California Earthquake Authority, in a statement to CEA.
Growing Vulnerability Recognition
The program's expansion addresses a critical need as more than 1.2 million California houses built before 1980 remain vulnerable to collapse or destruction during strong earthquakes. Recent seismic activity has highlighted these risks, with Phys.org noting that a magnitude 5.2 earthquake in August was "the strongest to strike the region in three years."
The retrofit process involves bolting houses to their foundations and adding bracing around crawl space perimeters, making structures more resistant to earthquake ground shaking and soil failure. Since the program's 2013 launch, more than 32,500 California homeowners have received grant assistance for strengthening their homes against earthquake damage, as reported by CRMP.
Timing and Context
The second registration period coincides with the approaching 31st anniversary of the 1994 Northridge earthquake, a magnitude 6.7 tremor that caused an estimated $20 billion in damages and 57 deaths. That devastating event led to the creation of the California Earthquake Authority and highlighted the urgent need for seismic preparedness across the state's aging housing stock.
"By opening eligibility to include non-owner-occupied residential properties, we are helping ensure more of California's older homes, including rentals, can be strengthened against earthquake damage," said Janiele Maffei, Chief Mitigation Officer at California Earthquake Authority. Property owners can visit EarthquakeBraceBolt.com during the registration window to access program information and locate trained California-licensed contractors.
