Flood victim lives in chilly RV as house repairs drag on

A family in Erlton is living in a chilly RV in their backyard while they wait for repairs to be finished on their badly flood-damaged house.

Debby Foster and her 27-year-old son have been there for a month. Her husband is hospitalized with ALS.

After the flood they were able to get an apartment rent-free, but just for four months, she said.

They can't afford to pay rent plus the mortgage on the house, so the donated RV is home for now.

“We're on our property and we can't live in our house so we have no other place to go,” she said.

Living in the trailer has been tough, she said.

“We've had our downs and ups and heating and coldness, and the door broke. And it's just, no bathroom, so that was a little concern. I mean, we were using a bucket for a while. And then they finally put a temporary toilet in there, so that helped.”

There have been many offer of help — from the province, the Red Cross, the city councillor's office and others — but nothing has quite worked out, Foster said.

Danielle Kraus of the Erlton Community Association said she understands it's not always easy to accept help.

“What we observe to be or what we believe to be easy menial tasks that could push us along so quickly are not that easy for someone that's lost everything.”

Foster said her husband doesn’t want to move to long-term care or a hotel room that was offered.

She said he just wants to move home when the repairs are done, possibly by the end of January.