Media Remarks

Media Remarks for Arthur D. Reid, Minister Responsible for Housing

Ladies and Gentlemen, members of the media, before we begin I would like to introduce my colleagues, the Honourable Joan Marie Aylward, Minister of Health and Community Services, and the Honourable Julie Bettney, Minister of Human Resources and Employment. I would also like to acknowledge special invited guests, Marie White, Deputy Mayor, City of St. John’s; Mary Ennis, Coalition of Persons with Disabilities; Charlie Rennie, Seniors Resource Centre; Gail Rogers, Community Health; Moyra Buchan, Canadian Mental Health Association and Jocelyn Green, Emmanuel House.

We are pleased to be here today to announce that Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation (NLHC) will deliver a new Provincial Home Repair Program for low-income families involving expenditures of $14 million over the next two years or $7 million annually.

This is a made in Newfoundland and Labrador program for senior citizens, individuals with disabilities, aboriginals and low-income families, including social assistance recipients.

This program was designed by Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation and represents an increase of $3.8 million in provincial funding allocations for housing repair over the next two years.

It is significant in the sense that it enables clients to undertake more substantive repairs to their homes, and it will more than double the level of service to the working poor.

This new housing repair program will address needs in a more responsive manner.

It will make it possible for seniors to remain in their homes and maintain independent life styles for longer period of time.

It will enable low-income homeowners to correct fire, life safety and other major deficiencies in their homes.

It will provide assistance for those requiring accessibility modifications.

It will enable NLHC to better respond to urgent repair needs of social assistance recipients.

It will allow NLHC to upgrade the quality of housing to approximately 2,000 low-income households and provide emergency repair assistance to an additional 1,400 households over two years.

It is anticipated that this new program will create more than 650 direct seasonal jobs in the province’s construction industry over the next two years.

In part, this program was made possible as a result of the Social Housing Agreement which the province signed last year with the federal government. The agreement provides more flexibility and allows NLHC to redirect federal RRAP funding.

Both the throne speech and the budget speech enunciated a renewed government commitment to social policy reform -- one that includes new ideas and innovative measure to bring about meaningful change. The new provincial home repair program will help those who are most in need to better provide for themselves and their families. It is an important component of our social policy reform.