Disaster Financial Assistance

Disaster Financial Assistance

Disaster Financial Assistance (DFA) is a provincial program to help individuals recover from uninsurable disasters. DFA is administered by Emergency Management BC, part of the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General. Not all emergencies are eligible; eligibility is determined by the Minister. The Minister has deemed overland flooding between November 14 to December 2, 2021, as a DFA eligible event for the Squamish area. DFA can compensate individuals for 80% of eligible claims, after the first $1,000 to a maximum claim of $300,000. DFA is available for essential items only. It provides or reinstates the necessities of life, including help to repair and restore damaged homes and small businesses.

 The deadline for applications is March 3, 2022.

Disaster Financial Assistance Eligibility

Homeowner

• Must be for the residence that is occupied by the individual as their home, where the majority of their personal effects are located, and the residence for which they received the provincial Home Owner Grant or were entitled to receive this grant.

Residential Tenant

• Must be the residence that is occupied by the individual as their home and where the majority of their personal effects are located.

Small Business Owner

• Must be the owner of a business that is managed by the applicant on a day-to-day basis, is the owner’s major source of income, has gross sales of less than $1 million per year, and employs less than 50 people at any one time.

Farmer

• Must be the owner of a farm operation that is identified by the BC Assessment Authority as an agricultural operation, is owned and operated by a person whose full-time employment is as a farmer and is the means by which the applicant derives the majority of their income.

Charitable Organization

• Must be a not-for-profit charitable organization that provides a benefit or service to the community at large, has been in existence for at least 12 months, and is registered under the Society Act.

DFA is only available for uninsurable losses. All applicants should first check with their insurance agent to determine if their current insurance policy provides coverage for the resulting damage. As part of the DFA qualification process, your insurer will be asked to provide a letter indicating that you could not have purchased insurance to cover these disaster-related losses. 

How Do I Apply for Disaster Financial Assistance?

Individuals must apply to the Province of B.C. for Disaster Financial Assistance.  The forms are available here on the Province of B.C.'s website. If you would like printed copies of the forms, or need assistance submitting the application forms, please contact the District of Squamish Emergency Program Office at 604-815-5060 or eoc.liaison@squamish.ca to arrange assistance.

For all questions related to the Disaster Financial Assistance program, email DFA@gov.bc.ca or telephone: 1-888-257-4777 (toll-free).

For more information, please see the provincial Disaster Financial Assistance website at http://www.gov.bc.ca/disasterfinancialassistance.