Lawmakers advocate for flooded Canandaigua residents seeking state aid

CANANDAIGUA, N.Y. — An official letter is in the mail to the governor’s office concerning the problem some Canandaigua residents faced, when they were flooded in a wild storm in July.

Some property owners, including a number on West Gibson Street, suffered tens of thousands of dollars in damages from that storm. Many recently found out they don’t qualify for state help.

While the state promised emergency aid to the people who got flooded, virtually none of them qualify. And even if they did, they would not be allowed to use the money to pay for emergency repairs they already made.

Today, two Republican state lawmakers — Sen. Pam Helming and Assemblyman Jeff Gallahan — sent a joint letter to Gov. Kathy Hochul. They thank her for making aid available, and they ask her to amend the eligibility requirements.

“This funding was earmarked for emergency housing funding to restore homes so that they are safe, they are sanitary, and they are functional. And that’s all we are asking for, is for the governor to make those changes so we can get the funding into the hands of the Ontario County residents who were truly impacted by this disastrous flooding,” Helming said.

Hochul had promised $3 million to victims in six counties, up to $50,000 per home. The official release from the governor’s office said money would “cover the cost of urgent repairs” so homes were “safe and habitable.” Repairs to be covered included electrical and plumbing; sump pumps; furnaces and water heaters; and refrigerators.

For many of those homeowners, their insurance didn’t cover the damage because it was due to a flood.