WHEREAS second home owners and temporary residents may be impacted by a local emergency or disaster; AND WHEREAS current regulations restrict second home owners and temporary residents from accessing emergency social services and other disaster assistance: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Government of British Columbia be requested to amend legislation to permit second home owners and temporary residents access to the same emergency social services and temporary disaster assistance as local residents when impacted by an emergency.
Ministry of Justice When individuals have been forced from their homes as a result of a large disaster or an emergency such as a house fire, Emergency Social Services ESS helps people meet their basic needs for 72 hours. Services covered under ESS are only available to people who need emergency assistance and do not have sufficient personal resources, such as insurance, family or friends available, and have no other options. ESS is provided to people staying at recreational properties in certain circumstance. The purpose of BCs Disaster Financial Assistance program is to provide assistance to individuals for their principal residence and to help small business or farm owners when their livelihood is at risk. The program is not insurance and was never intended to provide assistance to individuals whose secondary or vacation property was damaged. It is expected that if individuals secondary or vacation home has been damaged that they have a principal residence to return to. Limiting BCs program to only principal residences is consistent with the approach in all other provinces and territories, as well as the federal government guidelines for cost-sharing major disasters. BC is not considering expanding the Disaster Financial Assistance program to include secondary or vacation homes at this time.