'It's very slow:' Windsor townhouse residents still waiting for repairs a month after flooding

On August 29, residents of the Alix Sinkevitch Townhomes watched helplessly as more than a metre of water filled their basements. More than a month later, they're still waiting for their lives to return to normal.

As more than 100 millimetres of rain fell on Windsor-Essex, more than 6,000 homes were damaged and the province enacted the Disaster Recovery Assistance Program to allow people to apply for help.

• Number of Windsor basement flooding reports tops 6,000

• 'It literally feels like a refugee camp': power cut to housing units as people recover from storm

• Windsor flood victims issue plea for public help, including food, school supplies

Flooding is nothing new for Khalid Alshaikh Hassan. A year ago his home was swamped by then-record rains. 

On Friday, he was finally able to install his second new furnace in less than a year after the other was wrecked by water.

The installation gave him reason to hope, but standing in the ruin of his basement, it's clear his family still has a long road ahead.

"We're slowly getting better and better, but it's very slow," he said. "We still don't have a washing machine or dryer. It's very hard to care for my sons."

Sixty-six of 70 units in his neighbourhood were affected by the worst flooding in Windsor's history. It took days for power to be restored to some units.

Following the flooding, people living in the townhouses issued a public plea for help and donations of school supplies, food and furniture poured in.

Help Wanted

7 years ago

Duration 1:29

People living at the Alix Sinkevitch Townhomes in south Walkerville are asking for help.

Now the biggest frustration for people in the area is a washing machine shortage as damaged units mean about 200 people have to share a single washer at the community centre across the street.

Representatives from Labour Sponsored Community Development, which manages the housing complex, said they are doing what they can, but like many in the area, are waiting for the insurance company to get back to them.

"We're still not able to go in our basements," explained resident Tanya Windibank. "We're just being patient and sticking together."