Napa Fire Victims May Be Eligible For State Rebuilding Funds

NAPA COUNTY, CA — Property owners who lost homes or other structures in the October 2017 Napa Complex fires may be eligible for state funding to assist them in rebuilding. Officials with the county of Napa said Wednesday they are seeking CalHome funds from the California Department of Housing and Community Development to assist affected property owners who were uninsured and/or underinsured when the fires tore through the North Bay.

The CalHome Program will provide eligible property owners with “gap financing” for repair and full reconstruction of a home damaged by the wildfires, said Napa County Spokeswoman Kristi Jourdan.

To qualify, the property owner must have a household income at or below 80 percent of the area median income (AMI):

"'Gap financing' means that insurance proceeds or other financing have already been spent for the purpose of repair or reconstruction prior to CalHome funds being used," Jourdan said in a news release.

The program provides financing in the form of a deferred payment loan, repayable when one of the following occurs: the sale or transfer of the home; when the owner no longer lives in the home; or when the loan matures. The loan term may be up to 30 years with a simple interest rate not to exceed 3 percent per year.

Jourdan encourages property owners who are interested in the program and meet the income requirements to contact Deputy County Executive Officer Molly Rattigan by May 1 at at 707-253-4112 or molly.rattigan@countyofnapa.org.

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