The California Department of Housing and Community Development announces that eligibility for federal ReCoverCA housing programs has expanded, thanks to an increase in the income eligibility limit from 80% of area median income to 120% of AMI.
ReCoverCA’s 2021 Single-Family Reconstruction program offers eligible single-family homeowners grants of up to $500,000 to rebuild homes damaged or destroyed during the Dixie Fire. Additional programs supporting losses in qualifying wildfire disasters in other California counties are also available.
Designed to assist low- and moderate-income households impacted by federally declared disasters across California, the ReCoverCA housing programs administered by HCD are funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery programs. Focused on a comprehensive approach to recovery, the programs offer grants to eligible homeowners and facilitates the rebuild through their construction management team. Eligible homes must have remaining reconstruction needs on their stick-built houses, mobile homes or manufactured housing units.
Who is eligible?
The Single-Family Reconstruction program is available to Plumas County homeowners whose primary residence was damaged or destroyed in the Dixie Fire. The program is also available to landlords willing to rent the reconstructed home to low- to moderate-income tenants.
In addition, applicants must:
- Be U.S. citizens or qualified aliens
- Have legally owned the damaged home at the time of the qualifying disaster. Owner-occupant applicants must have also occupied the property as their primary residence at the time of the disaster.
- Have sustained damages directly linked to the Dixie Fire
- Have remaining reconstruction needs
- Be current on property taxes or have an approved payment plan or tax exemption
- Allow access to the property for all necessary program staff
- Have an allowable property type on a fixed pad with established utilities
- Have legal authority to complete an application, provide certifications and accept their grant award acknowledgement
- Have a household income of up to 120% of AMI based on county
The Department of Housing and Community Development encourages anyone who previously applied to a ReCoverCA housing program who was deemed ineligible due to income — or who did not submit an application due to uncertainty about income eligibility — to visit www.hcd.ca.gov/grants-and-funding/recoverca to see if they qualify under the new income limits.
HCD said applicants have praised the program for its “painless” process and the “great communication” they receive from the ReCoverCA staff throughout the application and construction process. As California continues to navigate the complexities of recovery, ReCoverCA’s ongoing support and innovative solutions offer a path forward. The program’s commitment to resilience and community empowerment ensures that the county’s future is one of hope, strength and enduring progress.
Information provided by California Department of Housing and Community Development
