Some victims of last year’s flood are starting to receive money from the disaster relief committee.
The cheques headed out this week to more than 450 residents who filed claims with the city following the May 28th floods. The money is being taken from the $1.5 million the Thunder Bay Disaster Relief Committee already raised, but recipients are only receiving about 75 per cent of their claims.
The amount is intended to be an interim payment until the province nails down the amount it will contribute. So far it is expected that the amount the province will contribute will be more than $300,000.
John Duczynski, who filed a claim near $40,000, said he was glad to receive some money, but felt it was nowhere near enough to cover his expenses.
Duczynski was eligible for up to $10,000 but only received 70 per cent of that amount. The city took off $1,000 for an advance payment he received earlier last year, leaving him on Wednesday with a cheque for more than $6,000.
He estimated the cost to replace his basement will run nearly $20,000, which doesn’t include the cost to repair the rest of the house.
Duczynski said what surprised him the most were the price caps and items like computers that weren’t eligible.
“I really feel sorry for the tenants,” he said. “Homeowners got a good kick in the teeth but the tenants got it worse. They’re not entitled to very much at all. My son and his girlfriend lost everything. We’re not sure what to do anymore. What we want to do is get our lives back together.”
Claims with the city totaled about $4.2 million, with the city only eligible for is $1.8 million in disaster relief cash.
That would mean the most an average homeowner could receive for their claim would be about $5,000.
But what Duczynski said he can’t believe is the $500 cap for the amount of work people can claim for working on their homes.
He said he hopes that the province will provide more funding later down the road.
“If they can get more that will be a bonus for everyone,” he said.
Thunder Bay Disaster Relief Committee Chairman Wayne Fletcher said they wanted to give flood victims some money while they finish negotiations with the province.
The city was eligible for $1.8 million in disaster relief cash under the Ontario Disaster Relief Assistance program despite the total gross from those claims being about $4.2 million.
Fletcher said they went with the $1.8 million when they gave out the interim amount and added that he felt confident the province would end up contributing more.
“We thought as a committee to get some money into people’s hands,” he said. “It has been a long time. Whatever it is coming from the government we can go back and revisit all the claims. If it is an additional amount above where they are now then we will give them that extra money. They’re still going to get more money anyways because we’re only put out 75 per cent.”
Fletcher explained residents who also received assistance from the city’s Safe Homes program would also some reductions on their claims.
He added that the advance claim would go against the regular claim.
