Disaster Financial Assistance (DFA) is now available for eligible British Columbians in the southern Interior who may have been impacted by overland flooding or landslides from heavy rains that began on March 22, 2018.

DFA is available to homeowners, residential tenants, small business owners, farmers, charitable organizations and local government bodies who were unable to obtain insurance to cover these disaster-related losses.

Applications for this DFA event in the Regional District of North Okanagan (including all electoral areas, municipalities and First Nations communities within the RDNO boundaries), the Columbia Shuswap Regional District (including all electoral areas, municipalities and First Nations communities within the CSRD boundaries), the Okanagan-Similkameen Regional District (including all electoral areas, municipalities and First Nations communities within the OSRD boundaries), and the Central Okanagan Regional District (including all electoral areas, municipalities and First Nations communities within the CORD boundaries) must be submitted to Emergency Management BC (EMBC) by July 16.

British Columbians can access the DFA application at:

Facts about Disaster Financial Assistance:

DFA is available to qualifying homeowners, residential tenants, small business owners, farm owners and charitable organizations.

Applicants should be aware of the following:

* 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 (e.g., homeowner and farm owner).

* A homeowner or residential tenant must show that the home is their principal residence.

* Seasonal or recreational properties, hot tubs, patios, pools, garden tools, landscaping, luxury items (such as jewelry, fur coats and collectibles) and recreational items (such as bicycles) are not eligible for assistance.

* Small business owners and farm owners must demonstrate that their farms and businesses are their primary source of income.

* Charitable organizations must provide a benefit of service to the community at large.

Assistance is also available to local governments for:

* Emergency response measures authorized by EMBC according to response task number. These include incremental costs associated with their emergency operations centre. Financial assistance is provided for each accepted response claim at 100 per cent. Completed response claim summaries and supporting documentation must be sent to the respective EMBC regional office.

* Recovery measures to replace essential materials and rebuild or replace essential public infrastructures to the condition they were 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.

newstips@vernonmorningstar.com
Like us on and follow us on .