Even a year and half after the January 2024 floods rocked San Diego communities, many people impacted are still repairing their homes.
“You could basically say it's uninhabitable because my windows still need repair and my doors still need repair,” said Greg Montoya who lives in San Diego’s hard-hit Southcrest neighborhood.
William Valadez lives about five blocks away from Montoya.
His basement flooded and his backyard looked like a “swimming pool,” he said.
“All the water that was in my basement got trapped in my basement, and then I used the pump to take all the water out,” Valadez said.
Both homeowners' properties sustained significant damage from the disaster.
“When it first happened I had some contractors come out and get some estimates. One of my estimates for the house was $435,000. I received $82,000 from my flood insurance company,” Montoya said.
The state is now offering grants through the CalAssist Mortgage Fund Program to help cover mortgages for recent disaster victims — like those of the 2024 San Diego floods — whose homes were destroyed or left uninhabitable.
“Eligible homeowners who had faced a disaster in the state of California between January 2023 and January 2025 are eligible to receive three months of their mortgage payments or a $20,000 cap,” said Rebecca Franklin, chief deputy director of the California Housing Finance Agency.
The funds don’t have to be repaid, she said. But there are eligibility requirements.
“It must have been their primary home at the time of the disaster, you must not have owned another home in California as well as there’s an income limit,” Franklin said.
That income limit differs by county — in San Diego it's just over $172,000 annually for the combined income of all people named on the mortgage and/or the deed of trust.
Montoya and Valadez said they both tried to apply online Thursday morning, but the website wasn’t working. Still, they remain optimistic.
“I don't know if I meet all the qualifications — I got through the first page. I'm hoping I qualify as I need all the help I can get,” Montoya said.
Valadez said their community needs help. In his case, repairs have been put off because his family doesn’t have the money to pay for them.
“There's still a smell, but it's like where else do I go? I can't afford to pay the mortgage on something and live in another apartment and wait to see if someone helps me,” he said.
Funds for the CalAssist Mortgage Fund Program are limited, and it's available on a first come, first served basis.
The money comes from $105 million of National Mortgage Settlement funds. Franklin said they expect to help 10,000 households.
It's free to apply at calassistmortgagefund.org.
