CFA Disaster Relief Increases Funds, Adds New Assistance Program

Increasingly devastating wildfires and natural disasters have been linked by experts to climate change, driven in large part by fossil fuel consumption.

We continue to find ourselves as a union with our minds and hearts focused on our fellow CSU colleagues and CFA siblings across the state affected by these fires, smoke, and air quality issues.

It’s why CFA’s anti-racism and social justice values pushed our union to endorse a resolution for divestment of fossil fuels from our pension system, CalPERS, and a group of activists have been speaking to the CalPERS Board and meeting with their investment experts. The fight continues.

It’s also why CFA is announcing increases to the CFA Disaster Relief Fund for our members in need.

Here are the changes and additions to this assistance program:

• New: The addition of a Catastrophic Damages Assistance fund. Members are now entitled to $1,500 if damages exceed $50,000.
• New Maximum: The Housing Assistance is now $1,000 per CFA member; the previous amount was set at $500.
• Increase: For CFA members, the Disaster Relief fund is now $1,500; it was previously at $1,000.
• Elimination of Limit: CFA eliminated the $2,000 benefit limit for members of the same household.
• Time to File Increase: The time to file claim is now set at 18 months, six months more than the previous time to file of 12 months.
• All changes are retroactive to the CFA/CTA disaffiliation date of July 2019.

The CFA Disaster Relief Fund provides limited financial resources to support members who have experienced hardship as a result of disasters such as fires, floods, and earthquakes. The goal of this fund is not to replace insurance or governmental assistance, but to provide a supplemental reimbursement for those unusual costs which often stretch our budgets.

Members can find assistance and eligibility details on CFA’s Disaster Relief Fund or email questions to membership@calfac.org.