Residents of some local communities are able to apply for Saskatchewan disaster relief money, as this summer has brought extreme inclement weather to their areas.
Due to heavy rains that led to flooding in these areas, the town of Battleford and City of North Battleford, Unity, Meadow Lake and Wilkie can now receive the provincial government’s Provincial Disaster Assistance Program. PDAP provides money for some losses not taken care of by someone’s existing property insurance. In some cases, this can also mean money for clean-up or repairs, and covering the cost of temporary relocations.
The funding does come with rules though. It is not meant to be a replacement for regular private home insurance and does not provide full compensation for these losses. Homeowners can receive up to a maximum of $240,000 for losses. Business owners, provided their operation brings in more than $4,000 and less than two million dollars a year, can also get up to $500,000.
Within one month after the disaster occurs, the local government authority, First Nation or Park authority must submit a request and be approved for PDAP support before residents can get funding.
People applying for PDAP must also live in a community that has been approved for the funding. Claimants must get their supporting documents in by six months from the disaster date, and must have all repairs or replacements completed within one year. Extensions will be available, so long as a written request is approved.
Eligibility can be checked on the Saskatchewan Government’s website. In 2019, $325,000 in assistance was given out to residents, small businesses, agricultural operations, First Nations, non-profit organizations and communities to recover from natural disasters.