Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:


Eligible Humboldt County homeowners can once again apply for grants of up to $3,000 to safeguard their homes against future earthquake damage.

The registration period for the Earthquake Brace + Bolt (EBB) program is limited and runs Wednesday, Jan. 10 through Wednesday, Feb. 21.

This program is administered by the California Residential Mitigation Program (CRMP) which is a joint powers agreement between the California Earthquake Authority (CEA) and the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES).

These funds cannot be used to pay for repairs to homes damaged in the Dec. 20, 2022 earthquake but can be used to protect eligible residences against similar damages resulting from future earthquakes. An EBB retrofit includes bracing the cripple walls of older houses, when present, and bolting houses to their foundation, making them less vulnerable to earthquake damage. Your house may qualify for an EBB grant if it is:

  •  Built before 1980
  • Owner-occupied
  • On a raised foundation
  • In an EBB ZIP code

Income-eligible homeowners may also qualify for supplemental grants. These grants are available for households with an income at or below $87,360 and may be able to provide up to 100% of the funds needed to cover a seismic retrofit as funding permits.

Humboldt County homeowners can apply for retrofit funding at EarthquakeBraceBolt.com. At this website, homeowners can check if their house is in an EBB eligible ZIP code, review detailed program information and begin searching for a FEMA-trained, California-licensed general contractor. For customer service assistance, please call 877-232-4300.

Once registration closes, participating homeowners will be selected through a random drawing and notified via email if they have been chosen or if they have been placed on the waitlist. 

According to the CEA, more than 1.2 million houses in high-hazard ZIP codes are particularly vulnerable to earthquakes because of the way they were constructed. 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.

To date, EBB grants have helped more than 23,000 homeowners strengthen their homes against earthquake damage.

About Earthquake Brace + Bolt (EBB)

Established by the California Residential Mitigation Program, EBB offers grants to help California homeowners retrofit their houses to reduce potential damage from earthquakes. For more information, please visit EarthquakeBraceBolt.com.

About the California Residential Mitigation Program (CRMP)

CRMP was established in 2011 to help Californians strengthen their homes against damage from earthquakes. CRMP is a joint powers authority created by the California Earthquake Authority and the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services. For more information, please visit https://www.californiaresidentialmitigationprogram.com/About-CRMP.

To learn more about available resources regarding earthquake recovery, visit humboldtgov.org/earthquake.