Financial help is on the way for more residents in Chatham and Thamesville who were affected by the flood that happened back in February.
Parts of Chatham-Kent saw major flooding earlier this year when the Thames River rose to above normal levels. After assessing the damage left behind, the provincial government announced flood relief for those living in certain areas.
Chatham-Kent-Leamington MPP Rick Nicholls says now that the deadline to apply for financial support has passed, the Disaster Recovery Assistance Program has expanded to cover a larger area than initially stated.
"I'm very pleased," says Nicholls. "Initially we were somewhat surprised at the number of people that actually did apply."
Of all the residents in the original affected areas, only 30 people from Chatham and Thamesville applied for funding by the July 3 deadline. A number that Nicholls calls "low".
"We felt that perhaps there may have been some misunderstanding so [it was decided that it] would be expanded it," he says.
“Eligible disaster recovery applicants can receive assistance for emergency expenses and costs for repair or replacement of essential and basic property,” says Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Steve Clark in a statement. “The intent of the program is to return essential property to a basic level, to make homes safe and habitable and allow people to resume their livelihoods. The program does not provide assistance for all costs.”
Residents who live in the now expanded area have until October 15 to apply for funding under the recovery program. However, the October deadline does not apply to residents from the original affected flooding area, as their deadline has already passed.
"We're giving people the opportunity to file if they had suffered a loss and if they, of course, meet the criteria that the government has laid down in terms of filing for a loss then, of course, we will handle each case individually," says Nicholls.
Details on the criteria that need to be met for the program can be found by clicking here.