Homeowners want province to help floodproof, not just rebuild

Some Constance Bay homeowners whose properties were flooded last springwould like the province to help them floodproof their property, instead of simply rebuilding it as it was.

TheDisaster Recovery Assistance for Ontarians (DRAO) program normally reimburses affected residents and small business ownersforevacuation,relocation, cleanup, repairand replacement expenses.

Generally, what the program is intended to do is put things back to pre-disaster conditions, so the way it was before the flood.-Stephen Seller, Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing

Improvements such as elevating a house to protect it against future floodsaregenerally not covered.

After being flooded in 2017, Krystal Vieira's home was hit again last spring. She saidshe had to move out for about six weeks with her husband and their two-year-old.

The couple is now hoping to floodproof their property andmoney from the DRAOprogram would help.

"Going forward, we're going to have to raise our home, get rid of our basement and see where we go from there," she said.

"There area couple different options on what we could do, but they're very costly."

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Vieira, along with about 50 other residents, attended a meeting with representatives from the Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing onMonday night.

They were told to apply forhelp with mitigation measures and that each application will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

"Generally, what the program is intended to do is put things back to pre-disaster conditions, so the way it was before the flood," said Stephen Seller,a municipal advisor with the Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, in an interview with CBC.

"If there arethings that people need to do in order to get permits and what not to fix their homes, we encourage them to apply and explain that, and work that out with their adjustor through the program."

Cautious optimism

Angela Bernhardt is a board member of the Constance and Buckham's Bay Community Association and the vice-president of West Carleton Disaster Relief, a community group founded after Dunrobin and Kinburn were hit by a tornado last fall.

She said she is optimisticbecause the provincial governmentappears to be exercising some flexibility.

"If a repair is going to be equivalent in cost to [an improvement], then they will, of course, entertain [it],"Bernhardt said.

"So, they're really willing to work with the homeowners to find the best solutionI was really grateful for that explanation because uncertainty is the biggest thing people are afraid of now."

Eligible homeowners or small business owners who were affected by flooding in Ottawa and eastern Ontario have a little more than 40 days to apply for assistance from the province.

The deadline is Sept. 4.