25 Jun 2014

Accommodation help for flood victims

8:44 pm on 25 June 2014

Temporary accommodation help will now be available for Christchurch people whose homes are repeatedly flooded.

Areas such as the Flockton Basin in Christchurch have suffered increased flooding since the Canterbury earthquakes.

Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee said on Wednesday while analysis is yet to determine the extent to which the flooding is quake-related, it is clear it would not have been as severe if the earthquakes hadn't occurred.

Mr Brownlee said people who have received a letter confirming the greater vulnerability of their properties to flooding can apply for temporary accommodation assistance.

Applicants will have to satisfy some criteria, such as having exhausted insurance support for temporary accommodation.

A flooded house in the Flockton Basin.

Properties in the Flockton Basin have been repeatedly flooded. Photo: RNZ / Nicola Grigg