News

Rebuilding Together East Bay Network a Finalist for 2025 Innovation Award

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Rebuilding Together East Bay Network is a Finalist for the East Bay Economic Development Alliance Innovation Award Berkeley, CA – February 24, 2025 – Local non-profit Rebuilding Together East Bay Network has been named a finalist for the prestigious 2025 East Bay Economic Development Alliance (EBEDA) Innovation Award in the Community Impact category. This recognition highlights the organization’s groundbreaking Big Skills Program, which equips construction trades apprentices and high

Own Your Own Second Home through the CalHome Owner-Occupied Rehabilitation Loan Program

What the Eaton and Palisades Fires Reveal About Wildfire Risk in Marin’s Housing Stock

For construction professionals in Marin County, wildfire risk may not always be a primary concern—but it should be. Recent fires in Southern California provide critical lessons on how homes ignite and the importance of wildfire-resistant construction. The Eaton Fire in Pasadena spread into a neighborhood of older homes, exposing the vulnerabilities of aging structures that predate modern wildfire codes. Meanwhile, the Palisades Fire ignited multiple homes in a newer development, proving that even recent

The Future of Home Insurance May Rely on Fire Smart Building

Earlier in July 2024, the New York Times published an article highlighting the collaboration of researchers at the Insurance Institute of Business & Home Safety (IBHS)  and insurance agencies, who are grappling with escalating losses due to the magnitude of wildfires across the West. The research emphasizes the role of a home's design features to withstand wildfire by focusing on key areas of home ignition risk: near-home landscaping, and the building’s materials and design often referred to as home