The following joint statement was issued on behalf of Social Development Minister Jill Green, who is also minister responsible for the New Brunswick Housing Corporation; Prince Edward Island Housing, Land and Communities Minister Rob Lantz; Nova Scotia Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister John Lohr; and Newfoundland and Labrador Children, Seniors and Social Development Minister Paul Pike, who is also minister responsible for the Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation:
A meeting was held September 28 between the Atlantic ministers responsible for housing. The ministers discussed topics of mutual concern, such as access to housing, housing affordability and supporting vulnerable populations.
As a result of the meeting, the ministers agreed as follows:
Quotes
“I was thrilled to host my counterparts and discuss how we can work collaboratively to improve housing options in Atlantic Canada. We share many of the same interests when it comes to housing. The collaboration and sharing of experience and expertise from across Atlantic Canada was productive. I would like to thank Minister Rob Lantz of Prince Edward Island, Minister John Lohr of Nova Scotia, Minister Paul Pike from Newfoundland and Labrador, and their teams for travelling and being so generous with their time and ideas.”
Honourable Jill Green
Minister of Social Development and Minister responsible for the New Brunswick Housing Corporation
“The Atlantic region has a strong history of working together. This continues today and extends to strategizing on the issues of housing, affordability and supports to individuals experiencing homelessness. The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador welcomes every opportunity to meet and collaborate with our other Atlantic colleagues to address the housing and homelessness needs in our region. Today’s meeting provided an opportunity to learn from each other and discuss best practices, innovative ideas, funding initiatives as well as identify opportunities to align and advance the priorities common across the Atlantic region.”
Honourable Paul Pike
Minister of Children, Seniors and Social Development and Minister Responsible for the Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation
“We are always pleased to gather with our neighbours and discuss what needs to be done to improve things for Atlantic Canadians. Our problems are not unique to each province, but our solutions may be. We can make the biggest difference for the region by continuing to work together and thinking differently.”
Honourable Rob Lantz
Minister of Housing, Land and Communities, Prince Edward Island
“The Atlantic region faces unique challenges and opportunities that we need to leverage to effectively address the housing crisis we are all facing. We know we can achieve more when we work together, and we can make a real difference to those in housing need by developing innovative solutions together.”
Honourable John Lohr
Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Nova Scotia
-30-
Media contact
Jenny Bowring
Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation
709-730-5886
jmbowring@nlhc.nl.ca
The Honourable Paul Pike, Minister of Children, Seniors and Social Development and Minister Responsible for the Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation (NLHC), toured the new Safe Haven Emergency Shelter in St. John’s yesterday.
In partnership with the Anglican Church of the Good Samaritan, the Safe Haven Shelter will provide a 40-bed staffed emergency shelter and an additional warming centre to accommodate up to 30 people in the winter months. Both will specifically serve the male population.
The shelter will operate as an overnight shelter between 6:00 p.m. and 10:00 a.m., and will be managed across two large rooms with dedicated staff and security on site. Provincial funding of approximately $2 million is being provided through NLHC to operate the shelter.
Safe Haven was the successful proponent of a provincial Request for Proposals issued by NLHC on January 31, 2023, for low-barrier shelter services. The facility will accommodate an estimated 40 clients and operate from a harm reduction approach which serves individuals experiencing homelessness without judgement or preconditions of wellness or sobriety.
Individuals that are engaged in housing readiness and housing search services will be provided access to case managers and housing support staff during the day. The facility also has capacity and designated space to offer up to an additional 30-person warming centre, as may be needed, during the colder months.
This new shelter option will increase government’s ability to direct placements to a staffed shelter with appropriate supports and referrals.
Quotes
“The new Safe Haven Emergency Shelter, a low-barrier shelter for the St. John’s area, is a much welcomed addition to the community, and will complement existing services. The new facility will help address growing demands and further contribute to our collective efforts to support individuals to transition from shelter to more stable housing options. This response is a great example of strong partnerships between community and government, coming together with a shared focus and an overall goal of well-being and improving client outcomes.”
Honourable Paul Pike
Minister of Children, Seniors and Social Development and Minister Responsible for the Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation
“Safe Haven Housing is excited to further our partnership with NLHC and the Good Samaritan Anglican Church. The opening of our male 40-bed emergency shelter and 30 bed warming center at 10 St Clare Ave will create an overnight model that will focus on harm reduction and supportive planning to move clients across the housing continuum. This opportunity will allow us to work with the most complex and marginalized clients in the community and provide a low-barrier space that can feel welcoming and safe.”
Ashley Bensaid
Executive Director, Safe Haven Shelter Services
“As we recognize the tremendous need for emergency shelter, The Anglican Church of the Good Samaritan is very pleased to partner with Safe Haven Housing to provide the second level of the church, which can house up to 40 homeless men and a 30-person warming centre. We believe that this is a wonderful use of our church building, and forwards the very purposes for which the Christian church exists.”
The Ven. Dr. Darrell Critch
Rector, Church of the Good Samaritan
Territorial Archdeacon, Eastern Canada
-30-
Learn more
Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation
Follow us on Twitter @GovNL, @CSSD_GovNL and @NLHousing
Like us on Facebook
Media contacts
Jenny Bowring
Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation
709-730-5886
jmbowring@nlhc.nl.ca
Ashley Bensaid
Safe Haven Emergency Shelter
709-727-0043
bensaidhousing@gmail.com
The Ven. Dr. Darrell Critch
Rector, Church of the Good Samaritan
709-730-4641
As part of the heightened focus to improve access to affordable housing, the Honourable Dr. Andrew Furey, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador visited Labrador West today, where he met with community leaders to discuss the many important housing initiatives underway in that region, along with the emergent housing needs.
Premier Furey was joined by the Honourable Paul Pike, Minister Responsible for the Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation, and the Honourable Lisa Dempster, Minister of Labrador Affairs.
Budget 2023 includes the largest provincial housing investment in our history, with almost $140 million to provide Newfoundlanders and Labradorians access to safe and affordable housing. Over the last two years, more than 750 new housing options have been created or are underway throughout the province. Budget 2023 also announced a new, three-year, $70 million Affordable Rental Housing Program to build over 850 new rental homes, which was launched in June.
Through strong partnerships with federal and municipal governments and community partners, we remain committed to investing in housing initiatives in the Labrador West region. These include:
Quotes
“Our government is firmly committed to addressing housing needs in Labrador West and helping to ensure that everyone has a safe and affordable place to call home. These initiatives are a great example of our strong partnership with federal, municipal and community partners. Together, we will continue our important work of building strong and resilient communities here in Labrador West.”
Honourable Dr. Andrew Furey
Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador
“A safe and affordable home is the cornerstone of social and economic growth and overall health and well-being. We look forward to continuing to work with our valued partners to create safe, affordable and inclusive communities in Labrador West, and to ensure supports for all residents, from young families to seniors. ”
Honourable Paul Pike
Minister Responsible for the Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation
“Housing initiatives contribute directly to achieving progress on socio-economic goals and we know investment in housing is a driver of economic growth and community development. Our government is committed to partnering with all stakeholders to help make real progress on housing challenges in Labrador West.”
Honourable Lisa Dempster
Minister for Labrador Affairs
-30-
Learn more
Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation
Follow us on Twitter @GovNL, @CSSD_GovNL and @NLHousing
Like us on Facebook
Media contacts
Meghan McCabe
Office of the Premier
709-729-3960
meghanmccabe@gov.nl.ca
Jenny Bowring
Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation
709-730-5886
jmbowring@nlhc.nl.ca
Allan Bock
Labrador Affairs
709-896-7935; 709-899-6446
allanbock@gov.nl.ca
The Provincial Government, via the Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation, is today releasing a Request for Proposals to retain a prime consultant to oversee the design and construction of a new integrated health, housing, and supportive services hub in Happy Valley-Goose Bay. The new hub will provide emergency shelter, transitional and supportive housing in a safe and culturally appropriate environment where individuals experiencing homelessness have access to necessary supports.
The preliminary design for the new facility includes:
The proposed location for the new integrated hub is 264 Hamilton River Road, site of former tree nursery. This is a large section of Crown land that is close to important services and can accommodate the building’s footprint.
The preliminary design for the new hub was developed in partnership with members of the Happy Valley-Goose Bay Action Team, comprised of representatives from Federal, Provincial and Indigenous Governments and Organizations, and community partners in the housing and homelessness sector and mental health and addictions services in the region. The collaborative work over the past two years draws on expertise in this area which acknowledges the importance of bringing health, housing, and other supportive services together to meet people where they are, improve access to these supports, and provide individualized and client-centered supports to individuals experiencing homelessness. The current emergency shelter and overflow shelter response will transition to the new integrated hub with appropriate staff and access to programming.
Consultation sessions with community stakeholders were held in Happy Valley – Goose Bay in spring and summer of 2022. The objective of these sessions was to identify gaps in services, partnership opportunities, design considerations for the building plan and program offerings. Public information sessions were held in November 2022 and provided an important opportunity to share the preliminary concept, design and proposed site location with the community. This next phase of the project will advance detailed design and site considerations, as well as provide ongoing opportunities for public consultation. To learn more about the proposed new hub, visit hvgbhub.ca.
The request for proposals can be accessed by visiting Merx.com (Reference Number 0000251961).
Quotes
“Providing vulnerable persons with safe, secure housing with supports is a ‘Housing First’ best practice and a proven approach to addressing homelessness. We look forward to advancing the detailed design of the new integrated hub in consultation with our partners and the community.”
Honourable Paul Pike
Minister Responsible for the Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation
“This initiative is a direct response to addressing chronic homelessness in the Happy Valley-Goose Bay area. The new integrated hub is intended to provide a more appropriate and staffed emergency shelter response for the area, address current gaps and bring together housing options, along with health and other wrap-around services to provide holistic, culturally appropriate and client-centered supports.”
Honourable Lisa Dempster
Minister of Labrador Affairs and Minister Responsible for Indigenous Affairs and Reconciliation
“As a government we remain committed to working together with community partners, Labrador-Grenfell Health Zone, Indigenous Governments and Organizations and the RCMP to identify short-term responses and long-term plans to meet the needs of all residents of Happy Valley-Goose Bay. This new hub builds on the recommendations of frontline expertise to support people in need and will contribute to the ultimate goal of a safer, more inclusive community.”
Perry Trimper
MHA, Lake Melville
-30-
Media contacts
Jenny Bowring
Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation
709-724-3055
jmbowring@nlhc.nl.ca
Allan Bock
Labrador Affairs
709-896-7935
allanbock@gov.nl.ca