The Honourable Steven Mahoney, Secretary of State responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, the Honourable Gerry Byrne, Minister of State (Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency), the Honourable Oliver Langdon, Newfoundland and Labrador’s Minister of Municipal and Provincial Affairs and Minister Responsible for Housing, and the Honourable Tom Lush, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, announced today the signing of a $30.28 million Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Affordable Housing Agreement. This will create approximately 600 affordable housing units in the province over the next four years.
“More residents of Newfoundland and Labrador will be able to access affordable housing thanks to this agreement”, said Secretary of State Mahoney. “I look forward to seeing the first projects come to fruition now that we have completed this important step.”
“This is good news for residents of Newfoundland and Labrador and will generate economic benefits in addition to meeting housing needs”, noted Minister Byrne.
Minister Langdon commented, “Today’s agreement is indeed a positive step for the development and enhancement of supportive housing needs and affordable rental housing in Newfoundland and Labrador. It also represents a significant investment in the lives of many people and will contribute to their health and independence.”
Tom Lush, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs for the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador welcomed the signing of the Affordable Housing Agreement and said, “This agreement is an excellent example of government partnership in action to meet specific public policy objectives.”
Funding under this agreement will be used for two provincially designed programs. One will stimulate the production of new affordable rental housing and the rehabilitation of severely deteriorated existing rental housing for low- to moderate-income households. The other will assist new affordable homeownership housing, and the rehabilitation of severely deteriorated affordable housing for ownership by low- to moderate-income households in Labrador.
Stimulating the creation of more affordable housing was part of the Government of Canada’s Speech from the Throne, in January 2001 and the $680 million in federal funding was confirmed in the December 2001 federal budget. The 2003 federal budget added an additional $320 million bringing the total investment in affordable housing to $1 billion in total by the end of 2007-08.
Individuals and organizations may obtain additional information about the Affordable Housing Initiative by contacting the Programs Division of Newfoundland and Labrador Housing at: (709) 724-3123.
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For further information, contact:
Jenny Bowring
NLHC
(709) 724-3055
E-mail: releases@nlhc.nf.ca
Oliver Langdon, Minister Responsible for Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation (NLHC), expressed his congratulations today to 18 of NLHC’s seasonal workers who have just completed a Maintenance Repair Training Program through the Carpenters’ Training Institute, in St. John’s.
“My sincere congratulations to all of the participants of this very successful initiative,” said Mr. Langdon. “NLHC is committed to creating an environment that fosters open communication, creative thinking and respect for employee input. We feel having the best possible employee/management partnership means having well-trained, flexible staff able to respond to a full range of client maintenance needs, which benefits everyone.” The minister added: “Many thanks also go to the staff and instructors of the Carpenters’ Training Institute who played such a significant role in making this program become a reality.”
The project was initiated by a number of seasonal NLHC employees, who are also members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE). The Institute then worked with NLHC’s Human Resources Division to design a program which addressed the work and maintenance requirements of the corporation. Once developed, there was such interest in the program, that it was decided to expand it to include a larger number of seasonal employees.
Commenting on the initiative, Wayne Lucas, President, CUPE Newfoundland noted: “This has been a great venture, and in our opinion, an excellent model for any workplace to follow. We want to extend our congratulations to NLHC and all the workers who successfully completed the program. We would also like to acknowledge Human Resources and Development Canada, who assisted the program by extending the living benefits of the participants to ensure they could continue with their training.”
The six-month program which ended May 15, 2003, covered a series of topics including: framing and installation of doors and windows; installation of siding and shingles; construction of stairs and decks; as well as drywall and plastering techniques. The training also included a number of safety certification workshops such as fall arrest and first-aid training.
This training became a reality through the commitment and support of NLHC’s senior management, the CUPE union officials and the willingness of various divisions throughout the corporation to share staff and financial resources. NLHC also assisted by providing work sites, tools and additional maintenance materials.
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For further information, contact:
Jenny Bowring
NLHC
(709) 724-3055
E-mail: releases@nlhc.nf.ca