Montreal-area flood victims still in deep water

The frustration is building for some people whose homes were floodedlast spring.

Four months after the floodwaters hit, many say they are still in limbo. They are calling on the government to act so that they can get on with their lives.

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Montrealer Alin Circo is moving for his fourth time since his home on le Mercier got flooded in May.

He spent weeks trying to save the housebut finally had to abandon the fight and leave.

Since then, his family has moved from place to place on short-term rentals while waiting for the government to decide if he can return to his home or if he has to rebuild from scratch.

"If I knew it was going to take 10 months or whatever, I could have rented a house. I could have stayed there, relaxed and wait for the stuff," Ciroc said. "But because they said, 'No, no. We're taking care of you quickly,' I just move around."

The stress is mounting. Circofinds himself waking up fromrecurrent nightmares in which his children are drowning.

He says the waiting doesn'thelp.

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"It's really important to know if it's going to take another year because if you don't start working on the house in the next two months, it's done. You have to wait until July or June next year."

The news is better for his neighbour.

Hlne Guilbault plans on moving out of a hotel next week and back into her le Mercier home, which now has a brand-new basement.

But she's dealing with the stress of not knowing when she'll be compensated by the government or even if she'll be compensated at all

"It's been really difficult,emotionally and physically. I am on a leave of absence. I suffer from anxiety, a lot of aches and pains, I have difficulty concentrating," Guilbault said.

"Everyone is waiting, and we're not getting answers."

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The Quebec government says most people have received their damage assessments and can begin repairs.

Laval resident Matt Foley is one of those who got his response, and he's disappointed.

Contractors told him it will cost about $30,000 to fix his gutted basement. The government is offering $18,000.

He said he was initially told he'd be covered for about 90 per cent of the cost.

"I thought that was amazing, that we'd be taken care of but now that I see how much they are actually giving they say [$18,000] is the maximum they can give based on the number of square feet. Their numbers just don't make sense," Foley told CBC.

"It's draining because you have this massive investment which is your home, and you just lost half the value. It's hard to accept."