Itzik Romano‘s house has not been the same for seven weeks.

During the height of last month’s flooding, the water levels in his basement reached over four feet. The smell, he says, was unbearable. And everything – close to $30,000 worth of property—was thrown out.

“There was sewage water here for over five days without us being home,” Romano explained.

Among the losses was a washer, dryer, workout machine, a child’s computer desk, and bedding.

But that doesn’t account for the worst of Romano’s losses: he estimates that there is more than a hundred thousand dollars in damages to his home.

It’s an unfortunate reality that’s paralleled by Romano’s neighbours on des Maçons street in Pierrefonds, one of the residential areas hit hardest by last month’s record-breaking floods.

While the provincial government promised compensation and assistance to all those families affected by the flooding, the residents of des Maçons say the process is taking longer than anticipated.

In fact, they’re complaining of a complete lack of coordinated efforts on the ground now that Quebecers are trying to rebuild.

Romano met with the government’s flood claims officials six weeks ago, and received an initial $4,000 indemnity to help with the repairs to his home. But even as one of the luckier flood victims, Romano explains that this amount barely scratches the surface of the repairs necessary to restore his home to its former state.

“From what I’m hearing from the agents that I speak to over the phone, there is not enough agents,” Romano said.  “Every agent probably has 50 to 55 families to deal with.”

“They keep telling us to be patient—patience has its limits,” said Rene Leblanc, another resident of des Maçons. Forced from his home almost two months ago, Leblanc has yet to return because he says the air quality is still hazardous.

The damages to his home were assessed four weeks ago—but he is still waiting for his compensation.

That’s because financial aid agents told him that his evaluation was nowhere to be found in their system.

The general breakdown of communication, loss of homes, and shutdown of home-run businesses are leaving Montrealers feeling frustrated and unheard.

Perlita Picazo used to run a daycare out of her home, but it has since shut down due to damages sustained in the floods. The loss of income, even the loss of daily habits, is starting to wear on her.

“It’s not only the house or the basement, it’s our livelihood as well,” Picazo said.

The answers provided by those at the helm of the relief efforts are unsatisfying, and leave much to the imagination. So much so that the residents on de Macon plan to send a letter to the Premier next week, appealing for an increase in services.

On Thursday, Public Security Minister Martin Coiteux told reporters during a press conference that the government is trying to make the best of this “unprecedented” situation and implement an effective assessment and compensatory plan for any future natural disasters.

“What we’ve been doing is accelerate the process for indemnization for the financial support—we have increased the financial support that we give people,” Coiteux said.

Coiteux added that he “completely and fully” understands their frustration as they wait for relief efforts to come to fruition.

Flood victims may be entitled to up to $250,000 in compensation – in exceptional cases—and money will be allotted for the repair of roads and other infrastructure.

Coiteux also said that home owners would have to obtain official permits from the Public Security ministry before any repair work can begin, or compensation be distributed.

Homes are considered a “total loss” if they are destroyed, dangerous, unusable for health or hygiene concerns, or if the costs of the repairs exceed 50 per cent of the total property value.

However, the waiting is tedious for those who can’t decide whether to sit still, or take action into their own hands and begin repairs on their own.