Alberta looks to pay 90% of DRP flood claims by March 31
Disaster Recovery Program provides compensation for uninsurable property damage, loss and other expenses
The Alberta government says it has set a goal of completing 90 per cent of residential Disaster Recovery Program (DRP) claims from last year's flooding by March 31.
Thousands of Albertans filed applications through the program after their homes were destroyed by floodwaters and debris.
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There is also a plan to pay 90 per cent of all other outstanding claims, including agricultural and business requests, by June 30.
The province says a number of initiatives are underway to enhance the efficiency of compensation.
One of those initiatives is the establishment of an insurance advisory group to help resolve residential and business claims with complex issues.
Landlink contract
A team was also created to help eliminate road blocks for business claims.
"Payments are now being issued to all outstanding eligible residential and tenant applications that do not have current insurance issues preventing their resolution," said the province in a release.
But the provincial government is ending its contract with the company that has been running DRP on April 1.
Landlink Consulting has handled the program for 20 years but came under fire for the way it dealt with claims from the 2013 flood in southern Alberta.
The company will be on a one-year transitional contract with the province to ensure there is no disruption. Any DRP claims after March 31 will be handled by an internal group that will be set up by the Alberta government.
800 still in temporary housing
Government figures show there are almost 800 people who are still living in temporary housing following last spring's floods in southern Alberta.
Most of the 780 people still out of their homes are living in government-subsidized housing near High River or on the Siksika reserve.
The two areas were among the hardest hit.
Municipal Affairs spokeswoman Trisha Anderson says the recovery may be slow but it's steady.
The housing near High River is to remain open until the end of spring. The province is planning a development in the town itself for the estimated 500 people who will need longer-term housing.
With files from The Canadian Press