Housing challenges are escalating across Atlantic Canada, and advancing solutions to these challenges was the focus of yesterday’s meeting of the region’s housing ministers. The Atlantic Provincial Ministers remain eager to collaborate closely with the federal government to fulfill the commitments made during the last meeting in January with the Honourable Sean Fraser, Federal Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada, including the development of a tailored framework for an Atlantic Innovation Initiative.
The Atlantic Ministers recognize that addressing the housing crisis requires a joint effort. They are committed to working together with the federal government to ensure that the substantial investments made by the provinces are matched by federal support. This partnership is vital to delivering the housing solutions Atlantic Canadians urgently need.
The Ministers emphasized the need for more frequent and focused collaboration with the federal government, noting that Atlantic Canadians cannot afford to wait while the housing crisis worsens. The federal government’s housing plan, while a step in the right direction, needs to be further refined to ensure fairness and flexibility so funding programs can address the unique needs of Atlantic Canada. The Atlantic Ministers are eager to see the shared commitments made in January translate into immediate, meaningful actions that are responsive to the specific housing market conditions of the region.
A targeted federal investment of $500 million is being proposed to meet the immediate housing needs across Atlantic Canada, a critical step toward ensuring all Atlantic Canadians have access to adequate housing.
Exploring Innovative Solutions to Common Barriers
The discussions focused on innovative solutions to accelerate development timelines, including pooling resources to test and scale up advanced construction techniques, investing in the growth of the Atlantic offsite construction industry, and addressing housing-related labour shortages by facilitating easier access to careers in the skilled trades. The provinces are seeking additional resources to make offsite construction a more viable option for new housing developments, including funding for pre-construction activities and the creation of standardized regional housing designs and tools.
An Invitation for Federal Collaboration
The Atlantic provinces are fully committed to regional collaboration and believe that, with a strong partnership with the federal government, they can effectively tackle the housing challenges facing the region. While the tools currently available have laid some groundwork, there is a clear need for new, region-specific programs to deliver immediate and effective housing solutions. The Atlantic Ministers are ready to engage in a renewed, strengthened partnership with the federal government to turn shared goals into tangible outcomes.
Quotes
“Yesterday’s meeting with our Atlantic colleagues reiterated our common goal and commitment to work together to create affordable housing in communities across the region as quickly as possible. The government of Newfoundland and Labrador remains focused on addressing the diverse housing needs throughout the province and welcomes the opportunity to continue advancing a regional approach to drive innovation and productivity to accelerate housing supply for the benefit of our residents and residents across the Atlantic region.”
Honourable John Abbott
Minister of Housing and Minster of Mental Health and Addictions, Newfoundland and Labrador
“Nova Scotia’s government is ready to move forward with bold initiatives, and we believe that working hand-in-hand with the federal government is the best path to success. We need to act now, not just for the future but for the immediate well-being of Nova Scotians and all Atlantic Canadians. Together, we can create solutions that truly address the unique needs of our region.”
Honourable John Lohr
Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Nova Scotia
“Our government understands the urgent need for safe, affordable, and accessible housing for all New Brunswickers. We recognize the importance of being responsive to housing market changes and challenges – that’s why partnerships like this are imperative to solving the housing crunch. We will continue to build on our successes and ensure we’re laying a strong foundation for generations of New Brunswickers to come.”
Honourable Jill Green
Minister of Social Development and Minister Responsible for the New Brunswick Housing Corporation
“Through our provincial housing strategy, we are making significant investments to address the housing crisis, but we need co-operation and co-ordination at the local, regional and national level to help achieve our goals. By working closely with our federal partners and regional counterparts, we can pool our resources, align our strategies, and ensure that our initiatives effectively address the needs of all communities. We can do more together than we can separately.”
Honourable Rob Lantz
Minister of Housing, Land and Communities, Prince Edward Island
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The Honourable John G. Abbott, Minister of Housing, today announced a $1.3 million investment toward the creation of a new Transitional Housing Initiative in Gander.
This funding includes a one-time investment of $430,000 to allow the Central Residential Services Board to purchase a property on Airport Boulevard for the initiative, as well as approximately $859,000 in operational funding.
The program will provide up to 15 individuals with transitional housing beds and supports. The Central Residential Services Board will oversee the operations of the facility, hire staff and manage day-to-day operations. Those living on site will be connected with services such as mental health and addictions support, life skills development, and assistance with finding stable housing.
Transitional housing refers to temporary, supportive accommodation that is meant to bridge the gap from homelessness to permanent housing. It is designed as a more stable living arrangement than emergency shelter, and residents benefit from structure, supervision and available supports.
This initiative is the second transitional housing initiative undertaken in the province this year. The Transitional Supportive Living Initiative at 106 Airport Road in St. John’s currently has 33 residents, and two residents have already moved out of the facility into more stable housing.
Quotes
“I want to thank the Central Residential Services Board and other members of the Housing and Homelessness Hub for their willingness to collaborate on solutions to address homelessness in the Central Region. As a government, we are proud to provide financial support that will improve outcomes for our most vulnerable residents, providing them with support and services that help them transition from emergency shelter to secure housing.”
Honourable John G. Abbott
Minister of Housing
“As our province continues to address the need for transitional and supportive housing, we are very pleased that the vision of many community partners has been realized here in the District of Gander. The Housing and Homelessness Hub is to be commended for their tireless efforts to bring the need to the forefront and help achieve the change we are seeing today. This initiative will enhance lives and enrich our community.”
Honourable John Haggie
Minister of Municipal and Provincial Affairs and MHA for Gander
“Our Board wishes to express sincere appreciation to everyone who recognized the significant need for transitional and supportive housing in the Central Region. This achievement is a testament to what true partnerships can achieve. We are pleased to stand with our partners today to celebrate the purchase of this new home.”
Lori Moulton
Executive Director, Central Residential Services Board
“The Town of Gander is pleased to see this investment in the form of a transitional house in the community. This represents an important piece of a complex and multifaceted housing puzzle. We also recognize that there is much work to be done and we look forward to continued collaboration with all levels of government and community partners to meet this challenge.”
His Worship Percy Farwell
Mayor of Gander
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Provincial Government Releases Shelter Standards, Minister Available to Media
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The Provincial Government today released
Standards for Serving People Experiencing Homelessness in Shelters Throughout Newfoundland and Labrador. Developed by OrgCode Consulting following extensive and in-depth consultations with individuals, organizations and community partners, these standards will apply to all emergency shelters that receive Provincial Government funding.
Adoption of these standards will ensure the delivery of consistent, evidence-informed and compassionate service while enhancing accountability for shelter guests, operators and government. The vision is to create a system where homelessness in the province is rare, brief and non-recurring.
The standards emphasize three key aspects for providing shelter:
The Honourable Fred Hutton, Minister of Housing, is available to media today at 10:30 a.m. in the lobby of West Block, Confederation Building, to discuss the shelter standards. Minister Hutton will be joined by Tracy Flaherty-Willmott, Associate Director of OrgCode Consulting, and Doug Pawson, Executive Director of End Homelessness St. John’s.
The standards cover a wide range of shelter operations and requirements, including:
In developing these standards, OrgCode Consulting engaged with individuals with lived or living experience with homelessness, shelter staff (non-profit and private operators), as well as a steering committee comprised of community sector partners, Indigenous partners, staff with End Homelessness St. John’s and the Community Advisory Board. OrgCode also consulted with the City of St. John’s Planning, Engineering and Regulatory Services Department, NL Health Services and staff with NL Housing. The resulting standards reflects these consultations and industry best-practices.
With the release of these standards, the Provincial Government will re-engage with the project steering committee to guide implementation of these standards. At the same time, government will work with all current shelter operators to assess potential barriers to implementation and potential solutions to ensure compliance. The standards will also be used to bolster government’s current inspection process.
Quotes
“The implementation of these standards will improve the culture of safety and service in our shelters while emphasizing a housing-focus approach, so that the system can operate as intended – providing emergency shelter while increasing connections to more sustainable long-term housing.”
Honourable Fred Hutton
Minister of Housing
“Leaning into evidence informed practices, local realities and the voice of lived/living experience, these standards promote low-barrier, housing-focused and trauma-informed approaches. The consistent implementation of these standards will assist shelters in enhancing homelessness resolution activities while meeting the basic needs of households served in emergency shelters throughout the province.”
Tracy Flaherty-Willmott
Associate Director, OrgCode Consulting
“The development and implementation of shelter standards mark an important shift in the transformation of the shelter system that End Homelessness St. John’s and our many partners have advocated for. We believe a housing-focused, person-centred approach to providing emergency shelter will lead to better coordination and equitable access to services and supports and ultimately lead to the permanent housing outcomes for our neighbours experiencing homelessness.”
Doug Pawson
Executive Director, End Homelessness St. John’s
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Provincial Government Announces Partnership for Transitional Supportive Living Arrangements
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To support community housing providers in the development of affordable housing projects, the Provincial Government is today announcing a partnership with the Community Housing Transformation Centre (CHTC) to establish a $1.5 million Newfoundland and Labrador Community Housing Growth Fund.
The fund will support non-profit, co-operative and Indigenous organizations and registered charities pursuing the creation of affordable housing with planning and pre-development work, allowing them to take advantage of funding opportunities from all levels of government.
Organizations will be supported by CHTC’s program managers from their initial project conceptualization, with the goal of helping to shape project development and improve the rate of project success.
Funding is available to support a wide range of planning and pre-development activities, which often serve as a barrier for community housing providers to advance projects. Eligible expenses include:
The $1.5 million invested in the fund includes $1.25 million from the Provincial Government and a $250,000 contribution from CHTC.
The Community Housing Transformation Centre is a Canadian non-profit organization that was founded in 2018 by a network of organizations that represent and serve the needs of Canada’s community-housing sector. The group has supported a number of organizations throughout Newfoundland and Labrador in recent years, including Stella’s Circle, the St. John’s Status of Women Council, The Gathering Place, Choices for Youth and End Homelessness St. John’s.
Groups interested in applying for support under the program can visit the CHTC website.
The Provincial Government continues to invest in the growth of the community housing sector. The Affordable Rental Housing Program includes conditional approval for seven affordable community housing sector projects that would see 130 new homes constructed in six different communities.
Quotes
“Through this partnership, we will empower community housing providers to overcome barriers that often stand in the way of moving important projects forward. Growing the community housing sector is key to increasing the overall supply of long-term affordable housing throughout Newfoundland and Labrador.”
Honourable Fred Hutton
Minister of Housing
“We are very pleased to be supporting non-profit housing providers and co-ops through the new Community Housing Growth Fund. We are proud to be part of this important initiative to strengthen the community housing sector in Newfoundland and Labrador.”
Stephan Richard
Development Director, Community Housing Transformation Centre
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Provincial Government Announces Results of RFP for Affordable Rental Housing Program
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Media contacts
Marc Budgell
Newfoundland and Labrador Housing
709-724-3025, 709-727-5843
mtbudgell@nlhc.nl.ca
Jean-François Fayad
Community Housing Transformation Centre
1-833-360-3967 x112
f.fayad@centre.support