Nearly 15 months after the entire community was evacuated due to flooding, some Merritt residents who lost their homes will begin moving into new transitional housing later this month.

The city of Merritt says it brought in the Transitional Evacuee Manufactured Home Program (TEMHP) program using some of the $24,255,000 in funding that the provincial government announced last April.

Calling it the first program of its kind in the province, the first of 31 homes began to arrive at the Diamond Vale Mobile Home & RV Park in Merritt over the past few weeks, with priority being given to people who were not able to repair their homes or return to Merritt after the flood.

“We lost everything in the flood. Our four-bedroom home, our furniture, and an affordable place to rent,” says program participant Valerie Stacey. “After the flood, rents skyrocketed and we were forced to live in a fifth-wheel without water or sewer for about seven months. Our only other option was to squeeze our family of four into a small one-bedroom rental.”

“While the flood and the evacuation were very traumatic, the relentless uncertainty of getting a home was really, really difficult. We just couldn’t afford anything on the market. When the Red Cross told us about the City’s Transitional Housing Program, I was so excited. I am really grateful for the financial and mental health supports from the Red Cross.”

According to the City of Merritt, the TEMHP program offers subsidized or below-market, temporary, transitional, rental accommodation from four to 24 months. The homes, which are built in Calgary, will continue to arrive into Merritt over the course of the next two months, with the first occupants set to move in by the end of February.

“This is the first time any program like this has ever been created,” Merritt Mayor Mike Goetz added, in a statement.

“The City of Merritt is creating a ground-breaking new transitional housing program that will surely set the benchmark in future flood-recovery planning. We express our appreciation to the BC Ministry of Municipal Affairs for providing the financial aid to make this flood-recovery housing program possible.”

In all, about 130 homeowners and renters who were found to be in need to assistance to get off of Red Cross emergency supports were approached by City of Merritt staff who told to apply for the program in December. At the close of Phase One, the City says 20 people were accepted into the program, which will see them pay a subsidized rate of $1,300 a month which will cover things like pad rent, snow removal, and lawn care.

“Renters will be responsible for paying their own utilities, insurance, moving costs, and damage deposit,” the City of Merritt said, in a statement. “While the City is technically the owner, no rental proceeds go towards City coffers.”

Kim Mullin, Merritt’s Communication and Engagement Manager, told NL News that the remaining 110 people either found other housing options or were not able to pay the base cost of $1,300.

“In December we had 30 interested parties but 10 have since declined or were unable to proceed for some reason,” Mullin said, noting the other 11 homes are now being opened up to the larger population.

People in the TEMHP program may choose to buy out their home at any time during their 24-month lease period at an adjusted rate. If they decline, the homes will be sold on the open market at the end of the contract term ending Dec. 2024 to try and help alleviate the pressure on Merritt’s housing market.

Those who opt in will have to sign a new rental agreement with the Diamond Vale Mobile Home & RV Park.

“With a near zero rental vacancy rate, exacerbated by the November 2021 flood, many long-time Merritt residents had to leave the city,” Merritt’s Director of Flood Recovery and Mitigation, Sean Strang, said.

“The addition of these 31 manufactured homes is a vital first step to refill the City’s ‘missing middle’ housing options. We look forward to continuing to work with our partners, both provincially and federally, to help Merritt recover from this historical disaster.”