Transportation and Works
November 10, 2010
The following is being distributed at the request of Newfoundland
Labrador Housing:
New Social Housing Homes to Meet Needs of Two St.
John's Families
Two St. John's families recently moved into new accessible homes
built for them by Newfoundland Labrador Housing to meet the disability
related needs of their children.
"I am so pleased that these two families have moved into their
accessible homes," said the Honourable Tom Hedderson, Minister of
Transportation and Works and Minister Responsible for Newfoundland and
Labrador Housing Corporation. "Providing accessible housing removes
barriers to participation in society, and we are pleased to support this
important initiative."
The two single-storey homes, located on Linegar Avenue in the Shea
Heights neighbourhood of St. John's, were constructed with a $650,000
investment provided under the affordable Housing Trust Funds.
"I have personally known these two families for many years, and I
know how delighted they are with their new homes," said Tom Osborne, MHA
for St. John's South. "Whether you are an individual
with a disability, or you have a family member with a disability, having
an accessible home
— especially of this calibre —
removes barriers to daily living."
One bungalow has five bedrooms, the other two. Both have fully
accessible kitchens, bathrooms, bedrooms and living spaces. The
five-bedroom bungalow has three accessible bedrooms and one of its two
bathrooms is equipped with a roll-in shower. The smaller unit has two
accessible bedrooms and one bathroom with a roll-in shower. Both houses
are equipped with lowered kitchen cabinets and stove-tops, widened
doors, ramps and lowered switches and thermostats to give individuals in
a wheelchair more access and control of their living environment. The
contract was recently completed by G.S. Hunt.
"I never thought it would be possible for my family to come to live
in a home with so many accessibility options, however Newfoundland
Labrador Housing made this dream come true for us," said tenant Gail
O�Neill. "They made sure that we were
involved in the process from the start so that what we required to make
daily life a bit easier was accommodated."
"Project by project we are making significant gains in renovating and
modernizing our affordable social housing portfolio throughout the
province and where possible addressing the accessibility requirements of
families with specific needs," said Minister Hedderson. "Quite a lot of
planning went into the design of these units, including extensive
consultations between our own engineering and tenant relations staff,
the families and occupational therapists."
One of the objectives of the Provincial Social Housing Plan for
Newfoundland and Labrador: Secure Foundations, released in August
2009, is to increase the supply of accessible housing; this project
brings us closer to that goal.
In Budget 2010:
The Right Investments — For Our Children and Our
Future
, the Provincial Government is investing $27 million for
housing infrastructure projects, affordable housing and increased
maintenance funding. Newfoundland Labrador Housing is the province's
largest landlord with approximately 5,511 non-profit social housing
dwellings province-wide.
- 30 -
Media contacts:
