The province’s Minister of Municipal Affairs is getting a first-hand look at flood-ravaged areas of southwestern Ontario today.
Bill Mauro was in Thamesville and Chatham this afternoon, announcing the provincial funding that is available to residents and the municipality.
Mauro says the Provincial Disaster Assessment Team will be in Chatham-Kent once the water levels have gone down.
“The team will be on the ground here very soon, [and] they will do their assessment,” says Mauro. He says the team is in Brantford conducting an assessment, and will then head to Thamesville and Chatham.
“The DRAO – the Disaster Relief Assistance for Ontarians program that helps the people who live in their homes. For people who are homeowners or renters, this program is there to help them with costs – if they’re eligible – for what is essential and necessary for them to live in and inhabit their homes,” Mauro explains.
Mauro says there is additional funding for homeowners.
“If there are people in the community who are eligible for the program … who cannot afford to even buy the essentials upfront, whether that’s a furnace or fridge, if that’s necessary for them to inhabit their homes, we do have interim payments in the program. The local MSO office will work with them to seek out their eligibility so that nobody has to wait. The program is really good, it’s really responsive. It’s not a replacement for insurance – it’s there to help you with your essentials,” says Mauro.
Mauro says there is also a program that the municipality can apply to if damage was done to infrastructure.
The programs will be available once the Provincial Disaster Assessment team has done its assessment.
