The following is being distributed at the request of Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation:

Social Housing Units to Receive Major Repairs

The Provincial Government, through Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation, is investing $700,000 to upgrade and reclaim 10 affordable social housing units that have been vacant and are in need of repairs. The initiative is part of a long-term plan implemented in 2007. Once the 10 units are completed, a total of 85 of the 125 vacant units throughout the province will have been renovated for occupancy.

“These homes, six of which are in St. John’s and two each in Corner Brook and Grand Falls-Windsor, are currently uninhabitable due to interior and exterior damage”, said the Honourable Darin King, Minister Responsible for Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation. “Needless to say I am delighted that the completion of this work will assist 10 families with affordable housing. Our government has made great strides recently in ensuring the availability of affordable housing throughout the province, and today’s announcement is evidence of our commitment for the future.”

Budget 2011 Standing Strong: For Prosperity. For Our Future. For Newfoundland and Labrador also allocated $25.9 million for social housing infrastructure, including $10.4 million for maintenance and $12 million for renovations and improvements.

A Social Housing Plan for Newfoundland and Labrador - Secure Foundations, released in August 2009, outlines a long-term vision for social housing. It is aimed at improving the housing circumstances of low-income households and helping to create healthier communities. Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation is the province’s largest landlord with approximately 5,573 non-profit social housing dwellings province-wide.

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2011 08 18                                                                                  2:15 p.m.