Alberta’s NDP leader pledged to help homeowners in Northeast Calgary who were unable to benefit from hail roof discounts previously offered by the City of Calgary.
On May 5, Rachel Notley pledged $5 million to the remaining 1,700 homeowners who were still on the waitlist for the City of Calgary’s resilient roofing rebate. The rebate came after a devastating 2020 hailstorm that caused about $1.3 billion in damage.
There were approximately 70,000 claims, many of which were roof damage. The City of Calgary began a program that encouraged homeowners to improve the quality and strength of their roofing materials.
The City of Calgary introduced a rebate back in 2021 to help homeowners who were badly hit by the June 2020 hailstorm. Many homeowners who were eligible for the rebate never received one after being left on the waitlist. The program ended in May 2022 when the program ran out of money.
“You all remember when the Calgary hailstorm caused hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage to your homes and your vehicles, it was a disaster. The City of Calgary tried to help, but they ran out of money and the UCP refused to step in,” Notley said during a speech last Friday.
“I promise you that if we are elected, we will help. We will provide $5 million to help the remaining families who weren’t helped the first time.”
The City of Calgary has seen significant uptake of the program, with waiting lists for each offering and an extension of the program at the November 2021 budget adjustments.
The 1,700 homeowners who remained on the waitlist would receive a $3,000 rebate under the same circumstances as the original rebate.
What is the elastic roof discount?
- The discount was introduced in 2021 and ended on May 31, 2022.
- The rebate was $3,000.
- You were eligible if you were a single-family, duplex or semi-detached home owner and had your roof replaced after June 1st, 2021.
- You may also be eligible if you provide proof of purchase for a certified Class 4 shockproof product.
The Resilient Roofing Rebate received national recognition and won the first-ever Resilience Recovery Award from the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction (ICLR).
While more than 1,600 homeowners in Northeast Calgary have been lucky enough to take advantage of the Resilient Roofing Rebate, other folks like Cory Cardinal have not been so lucky.
Cardinal’s property was one of many in the Northeast damaged during the 2020 hailstorm.
“The siding was completely destroyed, everything that needed to go,” Cardinal said.
The news of $5 million potentially going to those on the waitlist is welcome news for Cardinal.
“It’s definitely going to help with the bills, especially the economics and damage,” Cardinal said.
livewirecalgary.com
https://livewirecalgary.com/2023/05/10/alberta-ndp-said-theyd-help-remaining-homeowners-left-out-of-calgary-roofing-rebate/
