Many residents in Windsor, ON, who were affected by severe flooding in August are still waiting for a city inspector to assess their properties.
More than 2,000 homeowners in the region have signed on to the city’s flood prevention program, which covers costs for things such as sump pumps and back water valves. Applicants, however, need to submit their properties for inspection before they can receive funding – and there are currently 6-8 month delays to receive those inspections.
Windsor-Essex only has three full-time inspectors to carry out these inspections.
Helen Murray was one of the 6,000 homeowners in Windsor-Essex whose basements were flooded amid record rainfall last August. She sent her application for the relief program by mail on September 4, but has yet to receive a call, appointment, or even a confirmation number from the city.
"Not an acknowledgement, nothing," she told
CBC News. "It should be taken care of in a timely manner. I'd like to get things moving and get my home back to normal living."
Residents can opt for a fast-track option – a licensed plumber can install the flood mitigation measures in an applicant’s home ahead of the city’s inspection. The city can then inspect the property at a later date, and reward eligible households with a subsidy of up to $2,800.
For homeowners like Murray, however, they cannot afford to pay thousands of dollars in installing the measures and risk not being approved.
"I just don't have the finances to pay $4,000 or $5,000 or however much it's going to cost up front and hopefully wait to get it back," she explained.
City Engineer Mark Winterton has assured citizens that the city is hiring three more full-time inspectors in the New Year.
"It's a pretty daunting task," said Winterton. "Each individual inspector can probably do only six or seven [inspections] a day, at best. We hope to move that needle forward on that six-month wait period."
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Less than 2% of Windsor homeowners applied for disaster relief program
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