Wood Buffalo Recovery Committee meets February 22, they will be hearing updates from multiple organizations in the community.
Fort McMurray REALTORS:
Andrew Weir, president of Fort McMurray REALTORS and Lynn Edwards the previous president will be giving an overview of the real estate market post wildfire.
Their numbers show that 685 homes have been sold from June 2016 to the end of January 2017 compared to the year previous that is up 119 homes, in the same period last year only 566 homes were sold.
FuseSocial:
Bonnah Carey, the Chief Entrepreneur of FuseSocial will present a “Fostering Collaboration Series of Workshops” which brings representatives from the recovery committees and stakeholders together.
The work shop that will be held at the end of March will provide opportunities to connect and create a shared understanding of collective impact as a strategic approach to rebuild the community.
NGO’s Supporting Uninsured & Under-Insured Residents (NSUUR):
NSUUR is a group of about five organizations that are working to support uninsured or under-insured residents reconstruct their damaged or lost homes.
NSUUR has received about 130 applications.
Out of the 130 applications 70 are rebuild requests, 41 are active (working through the application process), of the active files 31 are uninsured and 10 are insured and 29 of these applications have been declined for various reasons.
There have been 39 repair requests, 25 are active, and of the active cases 13 involve an uninsured homeowner and 14 have been declined.
The application process includes a needs assessment interview, financial disclosure interview and a financial review.
Canadian Red Cross:
Melanie Soler, associate VP of disaster management for the Canadian Red Cross will explain to the WBRC where the $319 million the Canadian Red Cross is providing as aid is being allocated.
Of the $319 million, $227 million is going to support individuals and families, $50 million to community initiatives and $30 million to support small businesses.
To wrap up the meeting, the WBRC will hear a request from the Recovery Task Force for a “Neighbourhood Network” which will provide a forum for residents in Fort McMurray and the outlying areas to meet to discuss ideas, events, challenges and solutions toward building a more resilient community.
