Displaced Merritt, B.C., residents to move into transitional housing

Nearly 15 months after catastrophic floods forced the evacuation of the southern interior city of Merritt, B.C., some residents whose homes were destroyed will soon move into new transitional housing.

The City of Merritt says in a statement that it used some of the $24 million it received from the province to buy 31 manufactured homes to provide temporary housing for its displaced residents.

Among the 20 residents selected for the project's first phase was Valerie Stacey, who says she and her family are "really grateful" for the project because they could not afford current rental costs.

She says her family lost their four-bedroom home and all their furniture in the floods, forcing them to move into a motel, then a fifth wheel and finally into a one-bedroom apartment.

The city says the "first of its kind" Transitional Evacuee Manufactured Home Program offers temporary rental accommodation from four to 24 months, at a monthly cost of $1,300.

It says residents will be able to move into the homes by the end of February and are able to buy out their homes at any time.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 11, 2023