The Ministry of Social Development has reversed a previous decision and will pay moving costs for a family whose belongings were put in storage after they were evicted from their Esquimalt home.
Jamie McComb, his wife, Amanda Dreher-McComb, and their three children have spent the past month in a family suite at Rock Bay Landing homeless shelter, but were set to move into an apartment later this week with financial help from the ministry.
The catch — which would have prevented the move — was that their clothes and furniture were in storage after being seized by bailiffs. The ministry twice rejected paying the $700 moving costs because the family was not moving to accommodation cheaper than the free shelter.
Together Against Poverty Society advocates filed a request for reconsideration, but were expecting a decision to take two weeks.
“I have never seen it happen so fast. We figure it must have happened because of the Times Colonist’s calls to the ministry,” said Kelly Newhook, TAPS executive director.
“I am in shock. This is very unusual.”
Dreher-McComb is delighted that the family will be able move into a three-bedroom apartment this weekend.
“This is going to be a new start. We get our keys on Friday and the moving truck will come on Saturday,” she said.
“I just wish it didn’t have to go as far as it did. I understand they don’t want to pay everyone’s moving costs, but this is not an everyday situation.”
The children are delighted at the prospect of spreading out, rather than being on top of each other in the one-bedroom Rock Bay suite, Dreher-McComb said.
Three-year-old Ziya lives with the couple full time and Makenzie, 11, and Kayla, 6, spend half the time with their father.
Social Development Minister Don McRae said he could not comment on the individual case, but said the ministry tries to make sure it deals with individuals fairly and consistently.
“We try to work within a policy framework, but also recognize that we can’t anticipate every subtle nuance that comes through the system,” he said.
The ministry deals with about 180,000 individuals and families a year, and there are sometimes delays because staff do not have all of the information, McRae said.
NDP critic Michelle Mungall said she is pleased the ministry responded quickly to the family’s plight.
“I would say the ministry now needs to look at how this policy and regulation has been implemented in this situation and ensure that something like this never happens again,” she said.
The family hit hard times after McComb’s employment insurance ran out unexpectedly. Dreher-McComb’s welfare application took weeks to process, and attempts to reach ministry staff on its 1-866 number failed.
Newhook and other advocates have complained it is impossible to get through on the line. People are left waiting on hold for an hour, then cut off.
McRae said there are times when high call volumes cause congestion, but the ministry is getting new telephone software and technology to address the situation.
“Just for example, you can call the ministry staff and, if you don’t wish to wait on the phone, you have the opportunity to leave your number and we’ll call you back so we’re not wasting minutes of people who have a prepaid cellphone bill,” he said.
“So I think there’s some opportunities there and that will be rolling out in the near future.”
Mungall said the problem has more to do with lack of staff.
“I don’t think this is a software problem, it’s a human resources problem,” she said. “They need to ensure they have enough people who are able to answer the phones and connect with people in a timely manner.”
