B.C. flood victims fear losing their homes — again — after Red Cross unexpectedly ends support

For the second time in a year, Anastasia Schell fears she's on the verge of becoming homeless. 

Schell fled her home on the Sumas Prairie in Abbotsford, B.C., in November during the devastating floods. 

Now, nearly eight months later, she says her financial support from the Canadian Red Cross has unexpectedly ended and she worries she won't be able to pay her rent. 

Schell says the Red Cross told her in March it would cover a damage deposit, $1,300 of rent for six months and $600 for basic necessities. But she says the support only lasted for one month, not six, and she received around $2,200 total. 

"We're petrified, We're scared we are going to be on the street," she said. 

Schell and other flood-impacted renters in the Fraser Valley say they are worried about losing their new rental homes after financial support from the Red Cross stopped earlier than expected. Others say they are frustrated with what they describe as "poor" communication from the charitable organization.

Nearly 20,000 people were forced to abandon their homes in November after torrential rains swamped rivers and farmland across southern B.C.

The provincial and federal governments have been working with the Red Cross to provide personalized recovery support for flood relief, including interim housing and basic needs assistance.

While the Red Cross says it has supported thousands of flood victims, struggling residents are calling for more flexibility in financial support and better communication for victims of natural disasters.

After fleeing her flooded home, Schell says the Red Cross supported her husband, daughter, and pets by paying their hotel bill for four months. She said her pets and family needed more space and safety so they settled for a temporary rental house in the Sumas Prairie they could afford with assistance from the Red Cross. 

"We have nothing. If we can't pay the rent, we are done," she said, noting her husband is the only working member of the family and earns a low income.

Mary Dyck echoes the sentiment. She says the Red Cross told her in April it would pay half her rent for six months, but she has only received support for three months and her case manager told her July would be her last month of assistance.

"Now I don't know what I'm going to do. I'm cut off now," she said. 

Already on disability, Dyck says she can no longer afford the rental, which she considered a temporary solution until she found a more affordable option. Now she fears she will be living out of her truck.