California Home Repair Grants 2026: EBB, USDA & Local Help

California homeowners may be able to get help through a mix of earthquake retrofit grants, wildfire hardening programs, USDA repair help, and city or county rehabilitation funds. The right option depends on the type of repair, where the home is located, your income, and whether the home is owner-occupied.

This guide covers the main California home repair grants and repair assistance programs for foundations, roofs, wildfire safety, mobile homes, accessibility upgrades, and local rehabilitation work. If you are searching for home repair grants California homeowners can actually use, start with the programs below.

How California Home Repair Help Usually Works

California repair help does not come from one single statewide grant. Some programs are true grants, while many local programs use forgivable or deferred loans for owner-occupied homes. That means you should match your repair type first, then check the city, county, or program administrator handling that fund.

In general, earthquake work fits retrofit programs, wildfire hardening fits fire-safety programs, rural senior repairs may fit USDA Section 504, and broader health and safety repairs usually run through local rehabilitation programs.

Which Foundation Does Your Home Have?

Before you apply for funding, you must identify your home’s foundation type. Most California grants are specific to the structure of the house:

The Standard Raised Foundation (EBB Grant)

Your house is built on a crawl space. You likely have a few steps leading up to your front door, and there is a small gap between the ground and your floorboards.

• The Risk: In a quake, unbolted houses can slide or topple off their concrete foundations.
• The Fix: A contractor bolts the house to the foundation and adds plywood bracing to the short walls (cripple walls) under the house.

The Soft-Story Risk (ESS Grant)

You have a living space, like a bedroom or office, built directly over a garage. You will see wide garage door openings on the ground floor with very few interior walls.

• The Risk: These houses can lean during an earthquake because the ground floor is insufficiently strong to support the weight above.
• The Fix: Strengthen the garage level with steel frames or reinforced shear walls.

Pick the Right Program for Your Situation

CalHome note: California HCD does not provide CalHome assistance directly to individual homeowners. CalHome funds local public agencies and nonprofit organizations, which may then operate owner-occupied rehabilitation programs in their service areas. California HCD CalHome

1. Earthquake Retrofit Grants: EBB & ESS

California provides direct grants to strengthen homes against seismic activity. These are incentives to prevent structural collapse.

A) Earthquake Brace + Bolt (EBB)

If your home has a raised foundation, EBB is the main starting point for many homeowners looking for foundation repair grants or earthquake retrofitting help in California. The program focuses on bolting and bracing work that reduces the risk of a house sliding off its foundation during an earthquake.

• Base Grant: Eligible EBB participants may receive up to $3,000 toward qualifying brace-and-bolt seismic retrofit work.
• Supplemental Assistance: Income-qualified households may be eligible for additional funding. Because income thresholds and registration rules can change by program round, verify the current limit and ZIP-code eligibility directly with CRMP before applying.

Official Link: EarthquakeBraceBolt.com

Earthquake Soft-Story (ESS)

Targeting soft-story homes where a living space sits over a garage. Reimburses up to 75% of total costs, capped at $13,000.

Official Link: EarthquakeSoftStory.com

USDA Section 504: The Rural Help for Seniors

California is currently participating in a pilot program with higher limits to match our state’s construction costs.

• The Grant (Age 62+): Up to $10,000 to remove health and safety hazards. (Check senior eligibility here).
• The Loan: Up to $40,000 at a 1% fixed interest rate for 20 years. (Read about repayment rules here).
• Disaster Bonus: In a Presidentially declared disaster area, the grant cap increases to $15,000.

The Safe Homes Grant Program

The California Safe Homes Act (AB 888), effective January 1, 2026, establishes a California Department of Insurance grant program intended to help qualifying residents pay for new or replacement fire-safe roofs and wildfire mitigation within five feet of the home, often called Zone Zero.

• Eligible focus: Fire-safe roofing and qualifying wildfire-resilience work near the home.
• Application status: Do not assume there is one universal open homeowner application or fixed grant amount. Check the California Department of Insurance for the latest rollout, eligibility rules, participating programs, and application instructions before starting work.

City & County Owner-Occupied Rehab

Local California repair programs use different funding structures. Depending on the city or county, assistance may be a grant, deferred-payment loan, forgivable loan, or another form of rehabilitation financing. Availability can also open or close as local funds are committed.

Bathroom & Roof Programs

Bathroom and roof modifications are rarely standalone grants; they are “eligible activities” within broader safety programs.

• Modesto Homeowner Repair: Explicitly lists roof replacement and ADA compliance (grab bars/safer showers) as primary activities. Official Site
• Lakewood ADA Grant: Provides up to $10,000 for walk-in showers and widening bathroom doorways. Official Site See our bathroom safety and accessibility assistance guide.
• LA County Senior Grant (LACDA): Eligible low-income homeowners age 62+ in participating unincorporated Los Angeles County areas may receive up to $20,000 for approved mobility, habitability, and deferred-maintenance repairs. Check current LACDA geographic and income requirements before applying. LACDA Site

California Veteran Home Repair Programs

Eligible California veterans and service members with certain qualifying service-connected disabilities may use federal VA adaptive housing grants to modify a home for accessibility and independent living. These are federal VA benefits, not general California home repair grants.

• SAH Grant: Up to $126,526 for significant structural changes to support independent living.
• SHA Grant: Up to $25,350 for medically necessary alterations like widening doorways.
• TRA Grant: Up to $50,961 (SAH) or $9,100 (SHA) for temporary residence adaptations.

Official Link: VA Disability Housing Grants

Mobile Home Repair & Replacement

California’s Manufactured Housing Opportunity & Revitalization Program (MORE) can support rehabilitation or replacement of individual mobilehomes through eligible local public entities, resident organizations, and nonprofit housing sponsors. Individual homeowners generally do not apply directly to HCD for MORE funding.

• Current HCD Status: The statewide MORE application window for eligible funding applicants is currently closed. Homeowners should check for local organizations or public entities administering previously awarded assistance.
• Riverside County MHR: Offers grants of up to $50,000 to qualifying manufactured/mobile homeowners for code, health, and safety problems. The county uses a waiting list and funding is limited.

Official Link: HCD MORE Program

How to Apply for California Home Repair Grants

Start by matching the repair to the correct program. Raised-foundation homes usually start with EBB, homes with living space over a garage usually start with ESS, wildfire-related roof work may fit Safe Homes, and broader local repairs usually go through city or county rehabilitation programs.

• Check the occupancy rule for the specific program. Many local rehabilitation and USDA programs require owner-occupancy, but eligibility rules vary by funding source and program round.
• Check the program’s current status before gathering a full application. Some California programs are open, some use waitlists, and some temporarily stop accepting applications when available funding is committed.
• Gather proof of ownership, income documents, insurance information if required, and photos of the damage.
• Check whether the program is a grant, forgivable loan, or deferred loan before applying.
• Do not begin work before the program approves the project, because many repair programs require inspection and scope review first.

If the repair is roof-related, you can also compare options on our roof replacement grants page.

FAQs

Is there a Free Roof program in California?

California does not have one universal statewide “free roof” program. Depending on location and eligibility, roof work may be covered through programs such as Riverside County HEP, Tustin or other local rehabilitation programs, USDA Section 504 for qualifying homeowners, or wildfire-mitigation assistance. Program status, funding, income rules, and eligible repair scope vary.

What is a Forgivable Loan?

A forgivable loan is assistance where some or all of the balance may be forgiven if you meet the program’s conditions for a required period, such as continuing to own and occupy the home. Interest rates, payment rules, lien requirements, and forgiveness periods vary by program.

Do I have to pay back the USDA Grant?

Under the standard USDA Section 504 grant rules, grant funds generally must be repaid if the property is sold within three years of receiving the grant. Other eligibility and program conditions still apply.

Can I apply for earthquake help if I am a renter?

Renters generally do not apply directly for an earthquake retrofit grant on a property they do not own. Property-owner eligibility can depend on the current CRMP registration round, property type, ZIP code, and program rules. Check the current EBB or ESS eligibility requirements before relying on older rental-property guidance.

Are there California home repair grants for low-income homeowners?

Yes. Low-income California homeowners may qualify through local CalHome or CDBG rehabilitation programs, USDA Section 504 in eligible rural areas, and city repair programs that use grants or forgivable loans for health and safety work. Eligibility usually depends on income, owner-occupancy, and the type of repair needed.

Is the California Safe Homes Grant application open?

The California Safe Homes Act created a Department of Insurance grant program for qualifying fire-safe roofs and Zone Zero wildfire mitigation. However, homeowners should verify the current rollout and application instructions directly with the California Department of Insurance before assuming a statewide application portal or fixed benefit amount is available.

Conclusion

California home repair assistance in 2026 is spread across earthquake retrofit programs, wildfire mitigation, USDA repair assistance, accessibility programs, mobile-home assistance, and city or county rehabilitation funds. The best starting point is to match your repair type and location to the agency that actually administers that program.

Before hiring a contractor or starting work, confirm current eligibility, funding availability, whether pre-approval or inspection is required, and whether the assistance is a grant, deferred loan, forgivable loan, or reimbursement. You can also review how to avoid home repair and contractor scams.