ESS registration is CLOSED. Read more about ESS Registration
The Earthquake Soft-Story (ESS) pilot grant program was developed by the California Residential Mitigation Program (CRMP) to help qualified California homeowners pay for an earthquake retrofit. The ESS program works by providing qualified California homeowners up to $13,000 in grant funding, as well as guidance and resources, to complete an ESS seismic retrofit of their house. The goal is to help homeowners who have a living space over their garage, or "soft story," complete a retrofit to lessen the potential for damage to their house during an earthquake.
Homeowners who live in select ZIP Codes, with homes that have certain characteristics, may be eligible for a grant of up to $13,000 to help pay for a seismic retrofit of their house. Among other criteria, ESS is specifically for those homeowners whose house was built prior to 2000, and has a one-story living space over the garage, also known as "soft story."
In order to be eligible for an ESS retrofit grant, homeowners must first register for the ESS program during the open registration period. Once registration closes, there will be a random drawing. You will be notified by email if you are accepted into the program or have been placed on the waitlist.
After you've registered, if selected to participate in the ESS program, there are a series of steps and Program Rules you'll need to follow as you complete your retrofit.
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