Marin wins federal aid for raising homes in flood zones

Dec. 8--More than a dozen Marin County homeowners have been awarded federal funding to help pay for elevating their flood-prone homes.

The funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency will pay for 75% of the cost of raising each of the 16 homes, which are in Greenbrae, Santa Venetia, Ross, Tam Valley, Kentfield and Black Point. Each of the homes lies within the 100-year flood plain determined by FEMA, which means the homes have at least a 1% chance of flooding each year.

FEMA allocated $2.9 million in grants to elevate homes in Marin. After a lengthy review process, county officials selected 16 homeowners from a roster of hundreds of applicants vying for a share of the money.

The homes that were selected for the funding were the least expensive to elevate based on construction estimates, said Hannah Lee, a county senior civil engineer.

The application process didn't take income into account, she said. But the cost of elevating a home is typically proportionate to its size, she added, and "because the homes we selected were small in general, it was supporting people who were lower-income."

The federal aid was triggered by the 2015 Valley and Butte wildfires, which prompted a statewide emergency declaration. Federal relief money isn't always tied to the disasters that trigger it, Lee said.

Marin homeowners applied for the funding in 2016, and the review process was completed this year, officials said. Homes were evaluated for historic value, and the environmental impacts of raising the structures was studied.

Because devastating wildfires have continued to ravage parts of California in recent years, triggering federal aid, it's likely that more FEMA disaster relief funding could be allocated for Marin flood protection projects, Lee said. County officials said they'd like to continue applying for that money.

"While 16 homes are a start, we know there are hundreds of homes in need of this grant funding and we will continue to apply as new grant opportunities become available," said Marin Supervisor Dennis Rodoni.

Sonoma County has allocated FEMA funds to property owners for home elevation projects since 1997, following several major floods along the Russian River. Any Sonoma County home that has experienced flooding is eligible for the federal funding. More than 200 homes in that county have been raised, officials said.

"By raising these homes, we've helped preserve a home for residents and our overall housing stock," said Sonoma County spokeswoman Janelle Wetzstein. "It has been extremely successful."

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