Recent fires at a pair of West End apartment buildings have left more than 100 residents displaced, and the Spence Neighbourhood Association is reaching out to help.
The Association’s housing coordinator Benjamin Simcoe told 680 CJOB Monday that many of the evacuees at 426 Maryland Avenue and 626 Ellice Street likely didn’t have tenants’ insurance.
“Even though it seems inexpensive to us, if you’re living on social assistance, it’s essentially unaffordable, even though it’s important,” said Simcoe.
“We’ve been trying for a long time to get people to make it a priority in their budget, but unfortunately they just can’t.”
Simcoe said displaced residents of the buildings who sought shelter with the Red Cross would have received emergency shelter in hotels for about 72 hours, but many of the evacuees have yet to contact either the Spence Neighbourhood Association or the Red Cross for assistance.
“We want to put the word out to those people that if you’re staying with somebody and you haven’t connected with an agency, to come forward and let us know, at least so we know you’re accounted for,” he said.
It’s not only people on social assistance who live without insurance, said a local insurance broker.
Jessica Degrow of Garriock Insurance told 680 CJOB that a common reason people don’t have renters’ insurance is simply because they don’t know it’s an option.
“Most young people who are just moving out for the first time, they’re not aware that they need it or they’re not aware why,” she said.
“A lot of people seem to think it’s more expensive than it actually is, so they kind of hold off for a long time, and the some people just think it won’t happen to them.”
Degrow said insurance could cost between $150 and $200 a year.
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