Earthquake Soft-Story (ESS) Homeowner Registration is Now Open

We are excited to announce that registration for the Earthquake Soft-Story (ESS) seismic retrofit grant program is now open as of October 15, 2024!

A soft-story house typically has one floor of living space over an attached garage. The upper story is held up by the ground story, which has an opening for the garage door instead of a fourth wall. This type of house is vulnerable to collapse during earthquake shaking and a soft-story retrofit will help to mitigate risk.

Houses that qualify, typically:

•  Are built before 2000
• Have Only one floor of living space over a garage
• No more than two stories
• Must be located in an ESS ZIP Code, and
• Are single family and owner-occupied
• Single family homes composed of up to four dwelling units, with a continuous perimeter foundation may qualify

Go to EarthquakeSoftStory.com on or after October 15, 2024 to register. Create an online account and answer several questions to learn if you qualify. Qualifying applicants will be randomly selected.

If you have any questions, visit California Residential Mitigation Program or call 877-232-4300.

Established by the California Residential Mitigation Program, Earthquake Soft-Story (ESS) offers grants to eligible California homeowners to help defray their retrofit costs to reduce potential damage from earthquakes. A residential seismic retrofit makes a house more resistant to earthquake activity.