Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed SB 894, a bill by Sen. Ben Allen, D-Pacific Palisades, that creates a state-backed, low-interest loan program to help property owners pay for home hardening and defensible space improvements.
The bill, called the Wildfire Mitigation Affordability Act, passed the Legislature with unanimous, bipartisan support. The resulting California Wildfire Resilience Loan Program will be implemented by the State Treasurer's Office.
"SB 894 will help homeowners and businesses access low-interest financing to harden their properties and create defensible space — reducing risk before the next wildfire strikes," Allen said. "If we want safer communities and a more stable insurance market, we have to help Californians take meaningful steps to protect their homes without putting those improvements financially out of reach."
A recent UC Berkeley study found that structures with key home hardening and defensible space features were more than twice as likely to survive a wildfire as those without any mitigation work. Such research has fueled California's push for stronger home hardening rules as part of a broader effort to improve insurability statewide.
But those upgrades can be too costly for many residents. The new loan program is modeled after California's GoGreen energy-finance platform, which has helped residents finance energy-efficient upgrades.
"Adopting a model that has proven to work is commonsense for one of California's top priorities right now: reducing fire risk across California in the face of a changing climate," Allen said.
Eric Horne, California director at Megafire Action, the bill's sponsor, called the law "a historic win for Californians."
The program comes as affordable insurance becomes harder to find and hotter, drier conditions increase fire risk.
Edited by SMDP Staff