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Disaster Financial Assistance for communities

Last updated on November 3, 2025

Disaster Financial Assistance (DFA) is a program intended to help with recovery from uninsurable losses caused by a disaster that has resulted in extensive or widespread damage. If an event is authorized for DFA, eligible applicants may receive financial support for essential recovery needs.

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About the program

DFA can help communities recover by providing partial reimbursement for eligible infrastructure repairs. Applications are accepted from Indigenous communities and local government bodies as defined under Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

Funding may be provided for:

  • Rebuilding or replacing essential public infrastructure to the pre-disaster condition
  • Repair to or replacement of essential materials
  • Removal of unusually heavy deposition in gravel beds, proven to be directly related to the event and supported by maintenance records
  • Insurance deductibles
  • Costs of inspection, appraisal, planning, and design required to determine the cost of repair, rebuilding, or replacing infrastructure or essential materials
  • Up to 10 percent of the eligible, incurred, construction costs of a project for administration. Must exclude salaries from regular employees
  • Compensation costs a community is obligated to pay under part 1 of the Compensation and DFA Regulation

DFA does not provide funding for:

  • Landscaping
  • Work undertaken as preventative measures to guard against future damage as a separate project, or part of a DFA project component
  • Enhancements from pre-event functionality unless required by the prevailing codes in the area
  • Repair, replacement or rebuilding of public facilities which:
    • there is no proof of ownership, title or rights assigned
    • were not maintained or had significantly deteriorated before the disaster through neglect or undue wear and tear
  • Eroded or damaged land, except for essential access routes and the removal of debris
  • Betterments suggested by qualified professionals as a “best practice” which are not required by a prevailing code
  • Temporary works
  • Normal operating expenses such as equipment or regular salaries

For complete information, see part 3 and schedule 5 of the Compensation and DFA Regulation.

Authorized events

If you've recently experienced damages to public and/or private property following a disaster, the Province requests the collection of information regarding the impacts to help understand the full scope and scale of the disaster.

There are no authorized events.

Review Interim Policy 5.09 – Disaster Financial Assistance Authorization to find out how DFA is authorized and if the extent of damages in your community should be considered.

Apply for reimbursement

Applications must be submitted within 90 days of the disaster being authorized. After October 2025, all DFA applications will be submitted through the DFA application portal, instead of email.

After October 2025

  1. Complete the appropriate application form available through the DFA application portal
  2. Upon approval from the program, communities must submit Infrastructure Cost Recovery Plan (ICRP) projects within six months
  3. After completion of a phase, or overall project from your approved ICRP projects, you can submit a recovery claim for reconciliation and/or reimbursement
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Infrastructure Cost Recovery Plan Projects

Communities will need to prepare and submit recovery plan projects that identify and address the repair or replacement of essential materials, structures, and public works. They should provide enough information to assess for eligibility required under the Compensation and DFA Regulation. 

You will be required to include supporting documentation that clearly shows what infrastructure was damaged, what was the condition pre-event and what is the least-cost option to restore the damaged infrastructure to pre-event functionality.

Projects must be submitted within six months of an application being approved.

We have provided an engineer tip sheet and sample report (PDF, 1.4MB) this is optional, use as required for your recovery plan projects.

 

Submit Recovery Claim

After completion of a phase, or overall project from your approved ICRP you can submit a recovery claim for reconciliation and/or reimbursement. Supporting documentation must be included with each claim to confirm accuracy of costs and compliance with the approved recovery plan.

  • ​Cost Share Calculator (XLSX, 174 KB) - Use this to determine the estimated local authority share of expenses. Note that local authorities with no population will contribute the minimum 5 percent.
 

Status updates

The DFA online application portal provides real-time status updates using a status bar that runs across the top of the dashboard of an application, projects, claims and appeals keeping you informed every step of the way.

 

Before October 2025

If you applied for an authorized event and were approved before October 2025, you may still be working with the DFA program on your Infrastructure Cost Recovery Plan (ICRP) projects and recovery claims by email. 

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Submit an infrastructure cost recovery plan

Communities will need to prepare a recovery plan that addresses repair or replacement of essential materials, structures and public works. This should provide enough information to assess for eligibility under the Compensation and DFA Regulation. 

Include supporting documentation that clearly shows what infrastructure was damaged, what was the condition pre-event and what is the least-cost option to restore the damaged infrastructure to pre-event functionality.

 

Submit Recovery Claim

After completion of a phase, or overall project from your approved ICRP, you can submit a recovery claim for reconciliation and/or reimbursement. Supporting documentation must be included with each claim to confirm accuracy of costs and compliance with the approved recovery plan.

 

Appeals

The DFA program will make a determination on your ICRP projects (eligibility decision) and reimbursement claims (amount decision) based on the criteria outlined in the regulation. Once you've received your determination, if applicable, you will have a maximum of 60 days to submit an appeal.

Note that appeals to a decision for events that were authorized before Oct. 2025 must be made via email.

Submitting an appeal in writing

Communities can submit an appeal through:

 Appeal submissions should include:

  • Reasoning as to why the person(s) or community believes their application should have: 
    • been determined to be eligible for Disaster Financial Assistance (eligibility appeal), or
    • resulted in a greater Disaster Financial Assistance payment amount (amount appeal).
  • Any supporting documentation not previously provided to program staff.

For more information, please refer to the Policy 5.16 - DFA Appeals (PDF).

Federal Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements

The federal Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements (DFAA) program provides financial assistance to provincial and territorial governments when the costs of responding to and recovering from a natural disaster exceed what they could reasonably bear on their own. DFAA is activated only upon request from the province or territory after a large-scale disaster.

Federal funding through DFAA is not provided directly to individuals, municipalities or Indigenous governments; instead, it is a cost-sharing program meant to support delivery of programs such as DFA and other public infrastructure recovery initiatives.

Contact us

Contact the Disaster Financial Assistance team with your questions or for more information.