Housing minister says N.L. government doing its best to keep up with demand
Funding announcement sees housing units for at-risk women and youth
Sheltered, a CBC Investigates series, examines the housing crisis in Newfoundland and Labrador — telling the stories of the people living it, while scrutinizing the policies and politics behind it.
The Newfoundland and Labrador minister responsible for housing acknowledged Friday that the provincial government must act fast to address the shortage of housing.
Paul Pike, speaking at a news conference to announce municipal, provincial and federal governing funding for housing for clients of non-profit organizations Stella's Circle and Choices for Youth, said time is of the essence.
"We gotta move as fast as we can, make decisions as fast as we can, so we can meet the housing needs of all Newfoundlanders and Labradorians," Paul Pike told reporters at St. John's city hall.
Though the funding was announced Friday, most of the new units are already occupied, including a 14-unit complex for at-risk young women and mothers, and six units for women who avail of Stella's Circle services.
A former office building is under development to become 15 transitional homes for women who are experiencing homelessness or fleeing domestic abuse, or who have been involved in the criminal justice system.
"I know we will have a long waiting list when the time comes to fill them," said Stella's Circle CEO Laura Winters.
Asked about the plan to address the number of people being housed in hotels and for-profit shelters, Pike said the government is dedicated to keeping people safe.
"We are working on providing extra spaces all the time, really," Pike said.
Pike pointed to Safe Haven, a non-profit organization that recently opened a shelter and warming centre in St. John's. It is not operated by the housing corporation but is receiving funds to do so.
Vacant housing units
The housing corporation "spends a large amount of money each year" to renovate housing units, said Pike, but the current stock is not meeting the needs of modern families, which typically require fewer bedrooms than in decades before when the units were built.
Data obtained through an access-to-information request reveals that of 5,597 housing corporation-owned properties, 153 were vacant and unhabitable. The number was tabulated at one point in the 2022-23 fiscal year.
"There are units that have closed over the years where we've you know that because … at one point there wasn't a big uptake on our housing but now it is, and so we're doing our best to catch up and we're getting there."
Pike didn't have the current figure for the wait-list for housing but said progress is being made. He pointed to new units opened in Happy Valley-Goose Bay that reduced the wait-list to fewer than 40 people.
"We're constantly shifting, we're constantly pivoting. But I think all in all, we're doing a stellar job in trying to create housing units for people in this province."
Sheldon Pollett, executive director of Choices for Youth, said the response to the housing crisis must match the need. The collaboration among all levels of government is a good way forward, he said.
Provincial New Democrat Leader Jim Dinn, who attended Friday's announcement, said he was underwhelmed.
"This doesn't go far enough. It's a start and it shows me you can actually do something, so what's stopping you from doing more?"
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