Earthquake Multi-Unit Retrofit Program

The Earthquake Multi-Unit Retrofit Program, or EMR Program, is administered by the California Residential Mitigation Program, or CRMP, and provides financial assistance to eligible owners of multi-unit residential buildings with soft, weak, or open-front seismic deficiencies. The program is intended to help strengthen vulnerable soft-story buildings, reduce earthquake risk, protect residents and communities, improve building stability and performance during earthquakes, and assist owners in meeting applicable local mandatory retrofit requirements. Eligible properties must be located in participating California cities that have adopted mandatory soft-story retrofit ordinances. EMR funding is available for eligible seismic retrofit work as well as qualifying engineering and permit expenses. The program provides up to 70 percent of eligible retrofit costs, not to exceed $4,260 per residential unit, and up to 70 percent of eligible engineering and permit fees, not to exceed $7,000. Engineering assistance applies to pre-retrofit engineering consultant fees for preparation of calculations and construction documents, and only engineering work performed after formal acceptance into the EMR Program by CRMP qualifies for an incentive payment. For a 10-unit building, the retrofit incentive can reach $42,600 plus up to $7,000 for engineering and permit costs, producing the stated maximum grant of $49,600. Because funding covers only a percentage of eligible expenses and is subject to maximum limits, the grant does not cover the entire retrofit cost. Eligible buildings are generally multi-story, wood-framed residential buildings constructed before 1991 with 5 to 10 residential units and tuck-under ground-floor parking or another qualifying soft, weak, or open-front condition. The property must be located in a participating California city and be subject to a mandatory local soft-story retrofit ordinance. The owner must have received a city notice or order requiring retrofit, and the building must require a full ground-floor retrofit. The program states that a property may still qualify if retrofit work was started but never completed. Participating cities are Albany, Berkeley, Mill Valley, Oakland, San Francisco, San Jose, Beverly Hills, Burbank, Culver City, Los Angeles, Pasadena, Santa Monica, Torrance, and West Hollywood. Registration is open from August 19 through September 30, 2026. Owners first confirm that their building meets the program qualifications and register online during this window to be considered for funding. Registration requires the applicant name, property address, ownership information, and responses to qualifying questions. Registration does not guarantee an award because funding is limited and both funding availability and program eligibility requirements apply. If an owner is uncertain whether a building qualifies, the program directs the owner to contact the applicable city building department to confirm that the building appears on the inventory list for mandatory multi-unit soft-story retrofits. If accepted following registration, the applicant must upload supporting materials including ownership records, the city retrofit notice, plans, permits, bids, and required photographs. After approval to begin, the owner must use an eligible contractor to complete the approved seismic retrofit within the required program timeline. Upon completion, the participant submits final invoices and completion documents so that approved eligible expenses can be reimbursed. The source does not provide a numerical application review score, detailed evaluation criteria, a specific award notification date, or a defined performance-period length. Funding is limited, and owners are encouraged by the program materials to register during the August 19 through September 30 application window to be considered. The program materials do not state that this registration period recurs annually or on another regular schedule, so no recurrence is established from the supplied source. CRMP provides a general program telephone number of (877) 232-4300 and lists its address as 400 Capitol Mall, Suite 1200, Sacramento, CA 95814. No individual program contact, program email address, or explicit PDF URL is provided in the supplied material.

Confirm the building is on the applicable city's mandatory multi-unit soft-story retrofit inventory before registering; register during the August 19-September 30 window because funding is limited and registration does not guarantee funding; do not rely on pre-acceptance engineering work for reimbursement because only qualifying engineering work following formal EMR acceptance is eligible; after approval to begin, use an eligible contractor and retain final invoices and completion documents for reimbursement.