Some Local Homeowners Eligible For $13,000 For ‘Soft Story’ Retrofit

Homeowners in Pasadena and several other locations in California whose homes include a living space above a garage may be eligible for thousands of dollars for a structural retrofit as part of a pilot program funded by the federal government.

The Earthquake Soft Story pilot grant program provides homeowners up to $13,000 toward a seismic retrofit for eligible homes.

The retrofit strengthens the garage and the living quarters to help prevent the top structure from collapsing into the garage during an earthquake.

The program is limited to homes built before 2000 in Pasadena, Los Angeles, Berkeley, Oakland and San Francisco.

The program is managed by the California Residential Mitigation Program and funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency Hazard Mitigation Assistance Program.

Homeowners can register for a grant at the CRMP website.