Relief fund clarity

Landlords affected by the May flooding disaster may not qualify for assistance from the Disaster Relief Fund.

Complaints have started to come in from landlords who aren’t eligible for the fund because they don’t fall under the province’s guidelines. Wayne Fletcher, chair of the Disaster Relief Committee, said the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing cleared up some of the issues of eligibility.

“(Landlords) may be eligible if they have a certified business or if their rental income represents 50 per cent or more of their actual income as an individual,” Fletcher said.

“If they fail those two tests then they are not eligible. We didn’t make the rule.”

Fletcher said they had one person who had multiple rentals ask about his eligibility. They directed him to bring in his tax receipts to make sure that the rent was 50 per cent of his income in case he hadn’t registered as a business.

So far, only a handful of people have come forward with this complaint.

He said a lack of clarity is probably why some landlords are in this situation now.

“I guess it’s the province saying if you didn’t incorporate yourself that’s fine because if it’s more than 50 per cent of your income they will treat you like it’s your business,” he said.

“They figure that’s where you’re spending most of your time and that’s where most of your money is coming from. That’s the rational I got from it.”

Fletcher added that the Tuesday clinics to assist those filling out the assistance forms will continue Oct. 31.

For a full listing of locations, visit the city’s website.