![]() Maffei said randomized selection for the program is expected to take place in the next few months. 29, and about 169 households from Humboldt County applied. Registration for the retrofitting program ended Nov. Retrofitting would involve either bolting the house’s frame to its foundation or adding braces to the walls in the space beneath the first floor. In the case of the McIntoshes’ home, the earthquake had knocked the house off of its foundation and made it unstable. There’s also additional funding for low-income homeowners making up to $72,080 per household. Under the Earthquake Brace and Bolt Program, homeowners can apply for a grant of up to $3,000 for seismic retrofitting. Putting in a whole new perimeter foundation can cost between $10,000 and $15,000. ![]() Instead, the homes are supported by posts on concrete with a skirt around it, in order to give the residence access to air. Many of the homes there have “post and pier” foundations, meaning they don’t have a continuous concrete foundation around the perimeter of the house. Humboldt County has specific structural challenges to its homes, because the region is so moist, Maffei said. In Northern California, such a retrofit can cost upward of $5,000, said Janiele Maffei, a structural engineer and chief mitigation officer for the California Earthquake Authority. Today, fewer than 1 in 7 California homeowners have earthquake insurance, according to the California Earthquake Authority, and more than 1 million homes in the state need to be structurally retrofitted. In a state known for its earthquakes, many homes lack retrofitting and insurance. Unfortunately, the McIntoshes’ experience is not a rare one. (MediaNews Group / East Bay Times via Getty Images)
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