As part of the Provincial Government’s continued efforts to help those experiencing homelessness break the cycle and achieve housing stability, a request for proposals (RFP) was issued today for the creation of a new Transitional and Supportive Living Program in St. John’s.
The RFP is seeking a partner or partners to create and operate 60 units of transitional and supportive housing. Transitional spaces aim to foster a transition from chronic homelessness in emergency shelter to sustainable independent living, while supportive living spaces are for individuals who require longer-term supports such as personal care, meals, housekeeping and social and recreational activities. The successful proponent will propose the specific mix of transitional and supportive spaces, with no less than 20 units of either type.
The Honourable John G. Abbott, Minister Responsible for Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation, will be available to media at 2:30 p.m. today (Friday, August 8) to discuss the transitional and supportive living RFP. This media availability will take place at the NLHC offices, 2 Canada Drive, St. John’s.
The successful operator(s) will work in partnership with Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation and local service providers to complement current service offerings while providing wrap-around supports on site. This will include a range of programming, including housing readiness, life skills development and social supports. It will also include the continued collaboration with NL Health Services through the Downtown Collaborative Health Care Team, which provides health care supports designed for vulnerable and marginalized populations.
This RFP is the next phase in a process that started in January 2024 with the creation of a temporary Transitional and Supportive Living Initiative, which came to be known as Horizons at 106 under operator End Homelessness St. John’s. Through this partnership, Horizons has welcomed over 120 people experiencing chronic homelessness – 25 of whom have moved from the program into more stable housing within the community.
Once this RFP is awarded and a new permanent program is established, it will replace Horizons at 106. The work of Horizons will continue until that time, and it is anticipated that more individuals will be supported to transition out of the program prior to this shift. The successful bidder will work with End Homelessness St. John’s and NLHC to help those who remain transition into other supportive arrangements.
The Provincial Government is also working with End Homelessness St. John’s to expand its HomeConnect program, which connects tenants who have experienced homelessness with participating landlords. The program creates successful tenancies by identifying barriers to housing stability and ensuring supports are in place to address them.
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“As we move forward into the next step of this process, we have learned much about the opportunities and challenges of transitional and supportive living. We will apply these learnings in this new program, and will look to continue the early successes of Horizons at 106 in support of our most vulnerable populations.”
Honourable John G. Abbott
Minister Responsible for Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation
“NL Health Services is committed to providing team-based health care to all individuals, regardless of their living situation or location. We look forward to continuing to provide health care supports through the Downtown Collaborative Health Care Team and working with government and community partners in support of our vision of ‘Health and Well-Being. Every Person. Every Community.’”
Ron Johnson
Chief Operating Officer – Eastern Zones, NL Health Services
“HomeConnect is a vital pathway to permanent housing for individuals who have experienced chronic homelessness, offering stable tenancies alongside the supports people need to thrive. It works because it’s grounded in community partnerships and housing-first principles. But as the need continues to grow, so must our collective capacity. Everyone in St. John’s deserves a safe place to call home – and that requires sustained investment and commitment from all of us. We look forward to working with government to expand this vital program.”
Doug Pawson
Executive Director, End Homelessness St. John’s
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Request for Proposals
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BACKGROUNDER
Housing, Transitional and Supportive Living Housing and Emergency Shelter Development in St. John’s and Throughout the Province
Since 2023, the Provincial Government has made record investments to address housing needs throughout the province. Investments have focused on three key areas:
In St. John’s and the metro area, the results of this approach include:
The Provincial Government is also continuing to invest in affordable housing, as well as transitional and supportive housing projects provincewide. Some notable projects include:
As part of NL Housing’s commitment to helping community sector partners develop affordable housing, seven more projects are receiving funding through the Newfoundland and Labrador Community Housing Growth Fund.
A total of $310,000 was awarded for pre-development costs to make it easier to advance community-based projects. Projects receiving funding include:
These seven projects bring total number funded so far by the Community Housing Growth Fund to 15. The fund supports community organizations and registered charities with funding for planning and pre-development work for affordable housing projects, where the absence of this funding could be a barrier to the projects’ advancement.
Many of these projects are also conditionally approved for funding under the Provincial Government’s Affordable Rental Housing Program. Budget 2025 includes $32 million for projects under the Affordable Rental Housing Program, part of an overall $82 million that will result in the construction of approximately 800 homes. Over 180 homes are already under construction or completed through this program, with further construction anticipated to start this summer.
The Community Housing Growth Fund was created in 2024 by the Provincial Government and the national Community Housing Transformation Centre. The $1.5 million invested in the fund includes $1.25 million from the Provincial Government and $250,000 from the Centre. Funding is still available, and groups interested in applying for support can visit the Centre’s website.
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“I would encourage organizations throughout Newfoundland and Labrador to consider applying for funding from the Community Housing Growth Fund to help pre-development planning. This fund helps organizations cover costs that arise early on in a project, and we want to reduce barriers and maximize housing initiatives across the province.”
Honourable Sarah Stoodley
Acting Minister of Housing
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Learn more
Budget 2025: Smarter. Stronger. Better
More Projects Approved under Newfoundland and Labrador Community Housing Growth Fund
Funding Approved for Three Projects Through Newfoundland and Labrador Community Housing Growth Fund
Provincial Government Partnership to Support Growth of the Community Housing Sector
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On Thursday, March 27 a fire broke out in a six-unit row of homes on Livingstone Street in St. John’s owned by Newfoundland and Labrador Housing. Due to the severity of the damage from this fire, Newfoundland and Labrador Housing will be moving forward with demolition of this row of homes in the interest of public safety.
Only one of the six-units had a tenant at the time of the fire. This tenant has been living in temporary accommodations, and is scheduled to move into another Newfoundland and Labrador Housing unit next week. While repair work was underway, the units were barricaded, as there had been frequent break-ins and vandalism that caused extensive delays.
Newfoundland and Labrador Housing met with contractors this week, and is expected to begin demolition next week. Security has been on-site since March 28, and will remain until this demolition work is completed.
The Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation is also providing an update on repair and renovations work. Each year, staff with Newfoundland and Labrador Housing complete an average of 14,000 work orders for routine maintenance, ensuring that more than 5,500 homes are maintained for over 12,000 current tenants province-wide.
Between April 1, 2023 and April 1, 2025, more than 750 provincially owned homes were vacated. When any provincially owned home is vacated it requires some level of repair before it can be redistributed to new tenants. This can range from minor work, such as painting, to major and lengthy structural repairs. During this same timeframe, more than 800 homes were refurbished and made available to families.
There will always be vacancies during this refurbishment process. The current vacancy rate is four percent.
In Budget 2024, the Provincial Government increased the repairs, maintenance and renovations budget for provincially owned homes by $8 million.
Additionally, work is underway on the construction of 32 new provincially-owned homes on Janeway Place in St. John’s, with estimated completion this year. Work is also expected to begin this year on a new 40-unit apartment building in the same area.
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“I would like to express my profound thanks to staff with Newfoundland and Labrador Housing, who go above and beyond to maintain our provincial housing portfolio. The thousands of work orders they complete each year are critical to keeping our homes available to families throughout the province, and we continue to fund major vacancy repairs to ensure that homes that become available can be given to new families as quickly as possible.”
Honourable Sarah Stoodley
Acting Minister of Housing
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As part of its ongoing commitment to addressing issues of housing and homelessness, the Provincial Government is providing funding to the Gander Housing and Homelessness Hub to support their work in establishing a service hub in the area. The Provincial Government is providing the Hub with more than $117,000 for operational expenses and pre-development costs as it works to finalize details of the model and structure of the hub, which is anticipated to offer a range of housing supports and services.
The Honourable John G. Abbott, Minister of Housing and Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, and the Honourable John Haggie, Minister of Municipal and Provincial Affairs and MHA for Gander, today joined His Worship Percy Farwell, Mayor of Gander, and members of the Gander Housing and Homelessness Hub to discuss next steps in their efforts to support individuals experiencing homelessness in the area.
This project is part of the Town of Gander’s New Beginnings Proposal to address critical housing needs in the community. The Hub has engaged a consultant to solidify the project scope, based on an evaluation of current and future needs in the region. It is anticipated that the consultant’s work will be completed by spring 2025 and will provide critical guidance on next steps.
The Hub will be the latest step in a concerted response to homelessness in the region. In August, the Provincial Government announced the creation of a Transitional Housing initiative on Airport Boulevard, supported by a one-time investment of $430,000 and $859,000 in operating funding. Overseen by the Central Residential Services Board, this initiative will provide up to 15 individuals with transitional housing beds to help bridge the gap between homelessness and stable housing.
The $117,000 provincial investment includes more than $67,000 in new funding, as well as $50,000 through the Community Housing Growth Fund, announced in December 2024.
Quotes
“This latest funding to the Gander Housing and Homelessness Hub is a sign of our ongoing commitment to their efforts to address homelessness in the central region. My thanks to the Board, to Mayor Farwell and the town council, and to my colleague Minister Haggie for their continued collaboration in supporting the most vulnerable in the region.”
Honourable John G. Abbott
Minister of Housing and Minister of Mental Health and Addictions
“I am pleased to be a part of this announcement and would like to thank the Housing and Homelessness Hub and the Town of Gander for their vision and perseverance. Along with wraparound services from many community partners, these first steps along the housing continuum are a move in the right direction for individuals, families and our community.”
Honourable John Haggie
Minister of Municipal and Provincial Affairs and MHA for Gander
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Learn more
More Projects Approved under Newfoundland and Labrador Community Housing Growth Fund
Provincial Government Investing in Transitional Housing Initiative in Gander