30 billion construction fund: flood victims hope for quick help

The Bundestag passed the 30 billion euro relief fund for flood victims today. There are many unanswered questions about the distribution of the money – those affected hope for quick payments.

In the community of Kreuzberg in Rhineland-Palatinate there is a lot of activity – at least during the day. Then the residents come back to their homes destroyed by the flood to clean up and clear out. At night the place still resembles a ghost village: 80 percent of the buildings are currently uninhabitable.

Before the flood, 600 people lived in the once idyllic community, most of them are currently sleeping with friends, relatives or in holiday apartments in the region. The atmosphere in town is surprisingly good. When clearing out, tapping the cleaning and sweeping, people always take time to chat with the neighbors, stand together in dusty work clothes and with shovels in their hands.

“The dominant topic here is money,” says Markus Asbach. Because of the flood, his formerly neat single-family house is again a shell. The 44-year-old father of two has insurance against natural hazards, but not for the inventory.

Date open for payments

Asbach is certain that he will get money from the federal and state rebuilding funds. He has already received almost 5000 euros in emergency aid. How much money he can expect from the reconstruction fund, however, is open. “And until when we can count on the money, anyway,” says Asbach, looking pretty thoughtful. But these are central issues for him and his family.

He and his wife want to start rebuilding their home as soon as possible. Not least to give the children a home again. The problem, however, is that he doesn’t want to place orders with craftsmen if he doesn’t even know how much he can spend, says Asbach. A dilemma that many in the flood areas are familiar with. They all hope for clarity soon.

Fund still has to go through the Federal Council

After today’s Bundestag vote, the Federal Council is still working on the aid package on September 10th. The consent is also considered certain here. How it goes on then gradually crystallizes out.

The Federal Cabinet has now launched an ordinance on the distribution and use of the funds. It regulates the basics – such as how the 30 billion will be distributed among the federal states affected by the flood, that flood victims should be reimbursed for up to 80 percent of their damage and that payments from insurance companies and emergency aid are offset in such a way that a maximum of 100 percent of the damage is covered. The federal states concerned are responsible for processing the payout.

18 billion euros in damage in Rhineland-Palatinate

Not only private individuals and companies can apply for money from the aid fund, but also associations, foundations, religious communities, public institutions and municipalities. With the 30 billion euros, destroyed roads, bridges, hospitals, schools, kindergartens, sports facilities and fire stations are to be rebuilt.

55 percent of the money should flow to Rhineland-Palatinate. That is where the floods were worst. According to Prime Minister Malu Dreyer, the floods caused damage of 18 billion euros in her state alone. In the Ahr Valley, for example, 62 bridges were damaged or destroyed. Five hospitals, 40 schools and 55 daycare centers have to be repaired after the flood. According to the state, 65,000 citizens are directly affected by the natural disaster.

Applicants must expect controls

According to the Ministry of the Interior, flood victims in Rhineland-Palatinate can submit their funding applications from October, largely electronically, and a website will be set up for this purpose. The Investment and Structural Bank will process applications from private individuals on behalf of the state government.

The damage that they would like to have replaced must be proven by an expert. In order to prevent misuse, the information provided by the applicant should be checked for plausibility. Later controls are conceivable, emphasizes the Rhineland-Palatinate Ministry of the Interior. How long it will normally take from the application to the payment of the aid cannot yet be foreseen, because the funding is currently being organized. The aim, however, is to help those affected as quickly as possible.

It is currently being checked whether advance payments can also be requested. This is a matter of concern for many flood victims because it is still often not clear how high the damage is – but at the same time those affected need money to place their first orders with craftsmen.

According to the Rhineland-Palatinate Ministry of the Interior, it is also checked whether the payment of the funds is linked to conditions, such as sustainable or flood-proof construction. The often expressed concern of those affected that they could go away empty-handed because the 30 billion euros are not enough, are unfounded, it is said. On her second visit to the Ahr Valley, Chancellor Angela Merkel emphasized that the fund would be topped up again if necessary.

Fear of the split in the village

After the grueling weeks of uncertainty, Markus Asbach from Kreuzberg is happy that the payment of the funds is within reach. But there are also people in the Ahr Valley who are a bit afraid of it. The mayor of Insul, Ewald Neiß, is one of them. He is afraid that the region is facing a major justice debate. He says the distribution of donations and aid has been very amicable so far. Neiß fears that this could change if the “big money” is distributed now. When it comes to financial matters, people are – understandably – very sensitive.

“If I were affected and would know that the neighbors only had the cellar full and I completely lost my house, then I didn’t want us both to be compensated equally,” the local politician said. The whole problem of distribution is connected with a lot of social explosives: “It may be that a village will split up as a result. Hopefully that won’t happen to us,” emphasizes Neiß. Otherwise the people along the Ahr would lose one of the most important things that would have carried them through the difficult times past: their solidarity.