In July 2022, City Council approved a recurring No Fault Grant Program (the Program) for uninsured property basement flooding damages caused by a storm event sustained by owners of certain residential properties within the Rockcliffe Special Policy Area and hydraulically connected sewer catchment, where beneficial works have been identified by a completed Basement Flooding Environmental Assessment Study, but the work is not yet commissioned.
Storm Event
- A Storm Event has occurred when:
- An intense and sustained precipitation exceeds the design capacity of local sewers and/or trunk sewers;
- a sudden and significant increase in customer service calls are reported to 311 of basement flooding and/or blocked sewer service lines; and,
- Water Service Technicians from the City are unable to meet the standard four-hour customer service response time to investigate basement flooding and/or blocked sewer service lines due to a sudden increase in customer service calls to 311. Depending on where in the City the rain fell during the Storm Event, the calls may be localized, include multiple distinct areas of the City, or can be City-wide.
Program Overview & Eligibility
- The Program provides a grant of funds for uninsured property basement flooding damage caused directly and entirely by a Storm Event to eligible applicants subject to the Program requirements (the No Fault Grant).
- The maximum amount of the No Fault Grant is $7,500 for each occurrence of a Storm Event in respect of a property to which the Program applies. The No Fault Grant is available to eligible applicants on a recurring basis when Program eligibility requirements have been met:
- Basement flooding must be reported to the City through 311 as a result of a Storm Event, and a Water Service Technician from the City must have attended the property as a result of the applicant’s call to 311 and verified the basement flooding.
- Uninsured property basement flooding damage means damage to the building or its contents owned by the property owner but not covered by insurance.
- Properly completed applications must be received by the City within two years of the date of the Storm Event.
- Only owners of specific properties on certain streets in the Program designated Rockcliffe area can apply for the No Fault Grant. If residents want to find out if their property is eligible, they can call 416-392-7000 or email nofaultgrant@toronto.ca.
- Applicants must be a resident of Toronto at time of application and a registered legal owner of the property at the time of the Storm Event.
- The property must be a single-family, duplex, triplex or fourplex residential dwelling located in the Program designated Rockcliffe area.
Applications that meet the Program eligibility requirements will be forwarded to the City’s independent insurance adjuster who will make a recommendation to the City regarding the amount of the No Fault Grant. They may contact applicants to verify the application information submitted, to request additional information or request to visit the property.
The City will notify the applicant in writing of its decision regarding the Program application, whether the application is approved or denied.
Once the beneficial works identified by a completed Basement Flooding EA Study are commissioned , eligibility for the No Fault Grant will terminate and the Program will end, unless earlier terminated or cancelled. As the Program is intended to provide financial assistance for a Storm Event until such time as the City completes certain beneficial works, when those beneficial works are commissioned, the benefits of those works will be available to the property owners and the affected property owners will cease to be eligible under the Program. When all beneficial works under the Program are commissioned, the Program will cease.
For more information on Program details, how to apply, and what the City is doing to prevent basement flooding, please visit the City of Toronto website.
