Earthquake Retrofit Grant Programs

PROGRAM REGISTRATION FOR THE EARTHQUAKE RETROFITS (BRACE & BOLT) FOR 2020 IS CURRENTLY CLOSED

There are two programs in Hayward that offer grants for residents toward the cost of earthquake retrofits on single family homes:

  • The City of Hayward Brace & Bolt program serves Hayward residents and is administered by the City. Using federal funds, the program covers the full cost of brace-and-bolt retrofits for homeowners who are seniors, have disabilities, AND are low-income earners. For more information and to apply, contact the Community Services Division at 510.583.4250, or visit our office on the 4th floor of Hayward City Hall.

  • The Cal OES and California Earthquake Authority’s Brace & Bolt program serves selected zipcodes throughout the State of California, and is administered by the California Residential Mitigation Program. The program provides homeowners with up to $3,000 toward the cost of a brace-and-bolt retrofit awarded via a lottery of eligible homeowners. For more information and to apply, visit http://www.earthquakebracebolt.com. 

WHY DO I NEED TO RETROFIT MY HOME?

Single family home damaged in 1994 Northridge Earthquake. University of Colorado, 1994.
 

In the Long Beach (1933), Loma Prieta (1989), Northridge (1994), and Napa (2014) earthquakes, common types of woodframe single family homes built before 1979 sustained serious damage when they slid off their foundations during the initial shaking and following aftershocks. Fixing this type of damage is typically prohibitively expensive. Brace and bolt retrofitting helps prevent this type of damage, and was effective in keeping homes intact and safe to inhabit during the Napa earthquake.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE?

Seniors, people with disabilities, and low income-earners who own their own homes and are residents of Hayward may be eligible for the City’s Brace & Bolt program, which covers the full cost of a brace and bolt retrofit.

All Hayward homeowners in the 94541, 94542, 94544, and 94545 zip codes are eligible to apply for the Cal OES and California Earthquake Authority’s Earthquake Brace & Bolt Program.

WHAT ARE THE PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS?

There are a number of rules and requirements for each program that applicants will have the opportunity to learn throughout the application and acceptance process. However, some of the most important requirements to know are:

  • In order to benefit from these programs, houses typically must:

- Be built prior to 1979

- Have a wood frame and a crawl space

- Have a raised foundation

- Be built on a level or or low slope

  • You cannot have done brace and bolt retrofitting on the house before you have been accepted into either program

  • The building permit must be acquired after acceptance into the program

  • The work must meet state, city, and program standards

  • Retrofitting work must be done in the crawl space

  • The Hayward Brace & Bolt program retrofits must be done by a city-approved contractor. The Cal OES and California Earthquake Authority Earthquake Brace & Bolt program retrofits can either be done by the homeowner or by a contractor.

HOW DO I APPLY?

Program registration for Cal OES and California Earthquake Authority's Earthquake Brace & Bolt Program will be open later in 2018. For more information about the Cal OES and California Earthquake Authority's Earthquake Brace & Bolt Program and sign up for notifications regarding openign of program registration, visit http://www.earthquakebracebolt.com.

To apply for the City’s Brace & Bolt program ONLY, which is open to seniors, people with disabilities, and low income earners, please complete the following application and return it to the Housing Rehabilitation Program in the Community Services Division on the 4th floor of Hayward City Hall.