Southern California lawmakers have filed two bills creating incentives for homeowners to “harden” their properties against wildfires.
A measure authored by state Sen. Steven Choi, R-Irvine, would create tax credits for half the cost of installing upgrades such as fire-resistant roofs, siding, vents, decks and fences or for thinning vegetation.
“Anyone who chooses to make their home harder for the wildfire, such as fuel modification, managing the bushes around the house, or whatever, … they will get the tax credit,” Choi said. “This will be a tax incentives for them to do so.”
Another measure authored by Assemblymember Lisa Calderon, D-Whittier, authorizes the state Department of Insurance to create a grant program to reimburse property owners for installing fire-resistant roofs or creating a 5-foot noncombustible zone around their homes.
See also: California rules will require more fire resistant homes in Palisades, Altadena
Calderon’s bill, which is backed by Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara, also provides grants for community-wide wildfire mitigation projects.
“This legislation aims to create safer homes and communities by providing state-tax-free funds to help residents purchase fire-rated roofs and develop non-ignition zones around their properties,” the insurance department said in a recent statement.
Funding for the grants would come from a portion of “premium” taxes paid by insurance companies.
Both bills were introduced in the wake of the deadly wildfires that ravaged Los Angeles County in January, destroying more than 16,000 homes, businesses and other structures in Pacific Palisades and Altadena.
See also: Wildfire recovery costs raise questions about L.A.’s 2028 Olympic priorities
Driven by hurricane-force winds, embers from the Palisades and Eaton fires hopscotched for miles into vulnerable neighborhoods, igniting wood fences and vegetation or flying through outdated vents and setting homes on fire.
Concrete or brick steps, walls and chimneys are practically all that remain of vast swaths of both communities, which are dominated by older homes.
Almost 80% of Altadena homes were at least 65 years old, U.S. Census figures show. More than 70% of Pacific Palisades homes were at least 45 years old.
And more than 90% of the homes in both communities were built before fire-hardening measures were added to the state building code in the late 2000s.
Homes built today in “very high fire hazard severity zones” must have fire-resistant roofs made from “Class A” asphalt shingles, cement or clay tiles or metal.
Exterior walls must be able to withstand heat and flames for up to an hour. Vents must have ember-blocking features to keep fires from igniting in attics or under foundations. And windows must have two panes, at least one of them made from shatter-proof, tempered glass.
To qualify for the tax credit or a home-hardening grant under either bill, residents would have to live in a wildfire hazard zone.
Choi’s tax credits — which can be used to offset state income tax payments — would be capped at $2,500 for an owner’s primary residence in “moderate” hazard zones; $5,000 for primary residences in “high” hazard zones; and $10,000 for primary residents in “very high” hazard zones.
Tax credits would be available for projects completed in 2026 through 2030 for homeowners earning no more than $70,000 a year for single filers, or no more than $140,000 for couples filing joint returns.
The tax credit program would be capped at $500 million per year, and homeowners must “reserve” their credit with the Franchise Tax Board to qualify.
Calderon’s home-hardening grants would only be available to low-income homeowners living in ZIP codes that include high or very high fire hazard zones.
The income limit to receive grants for a four-person household is $82,000 a year in the Inland Empire, $110,950 in L.A. County and $126,250 in Orange County.