Homeowners may receive roofing subsidies under new CA law

from Levi SumagaysaiCalMatters

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Some homeowners in areas of California at high risk of wildfires could end up getting money for new roofs or to build fireproofing zones around their properties under a new state law that takes effect today.

The Safe Homes grant program is designed to assist low- and moderate-income homeowners with wildfire mitigation. Eligible people could use grants to create 5-foot fireproof zones around properties, also known as Zero Zones, as required by law in some areas. The program will also contribute to the cost of fireproof roofs.

The state insurance department, which administers the program, works out the details of eligibility, size and distribution of grants. It is now developing an application portal that it hopes will be ready by March, said Michael Soler, a department spokesman.

The insurance department will handle all the details of the grants, said Mike Dayton, chief of staff to Assemblywoman Lisa Calderon, D-Los Angeles and chairman of the Assembly Insurance Committee, who wrote the lawand has so far secured $3 million in the state budget to start the program.

Soler said homeowners who have policies with recognized insurance carriers or the FAIR plan of last resort and who live in high-risk areas will have to meet income limits set by the state housing department to qualify for the grants, whose amounts have not been determined. Communities, cities and counties with mitigation projects can also apply for grants.

He also said the insurance department plans to advocate for additional and ongoing funding for the program.

Another source of funding could be the federal government, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Soler said. But Gov. Gavin Newsom recently sought to meet with FEMA to talk about disaster relief related to the Los Angeles County wildfires and was unsuccessful.

In addition, two Californians in Congress have proposed legislation that would create a federal program of mitigation grants and tax credits. U.S. Reps. Mike Thompson, Democrat of Napa, and Doug LaMalfa, Republican of Oroville, presented their bill for the last two sessions, but did not come to a vote.

The California Board of Forestry and Fire Protection recently extended the finalization of the rules on Zone Zero buffers around properties by the first half of next year. The rules are expected to come into effect for existing homes in 2029.

This article was originally published on CalMatters and is republished under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivatives license.