Disaster Financial Assistance (DFA) is now available for residents and businesses in Thompson-Nicola Regional District Electoral Areas “E”, “I”, and “J” and the City of Kamloops that were were impacted by flooding between April 20 and July 7, 2020.
The assistance program includes all municipalities, electoral areas, and First Nations communities in the specified areas, including Cache Creek, Loon Lake, 16 Mile, and the Bonaparte Indian Band. It is available to homeowners, residential tenants, small business owners, farmers, ranchers, charitable organizations, and local governments that were unable to obtain insurance to cover disaster-related losses, as well as expenses incurred for cleaning and disinfecting after flood events.
Financial assistance is provided for each accepted claim at 80 per cent of the amount of total eligible damage that exceeds $1,000, to a maximum claim of $300,000. Claims may be made in more than one category: for example, someone who is a homeowner and a farm owner and who suffered flood-related damage to their home and their farm can claim under both categories.
A homeowner or residential tenant making a claim must show that the home in question is their principal residence. Small business owners and farm owners must demonstrate that their farms and businesses are their primary source of income, and charitable organizations making a claim must provide a benefit or service to the community at large.
There are a number of exceptions to what will be covered by DFA. Seasonal or recreational properties will not be covered, nor will landscaping, fences, patios, pools, hot tubs, or garden tools. Luxury items, collectables, books and paper products, and recreational items (such as bicycles) are also not eligible for assistance, nor are any vehicles which were insurable.
Assistance is available to local governments for recovery measures to replace essential materials and rebuild or replace essential public infrastructure to the condition it was in before the disaster. Assistance is provided for each accepted recovery claim at 80 per cent of the amount of total eligible damage that exceeds $1,000; the local government must cover the remaining 20 per cent of costs.
Applications for Disaster Financial Assistance for this year’s flooding must be submitted to Emergency Management BC (EMBC) by Nov. 3, 2020.
The DFA guidelines and application form can be accessed online at http://www.gov.bc.ca/disasterfinancialassistance.
editorial@accjournal.ca
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