The following statement was given today in the House of Assembly by the Honourable Tom Hedderson, Minister of Transportation and Works and Minister Responsible for Newfoundland Labrador Housing.
As Minister Responsible for Newfoundland Labrador Housing, I rise in this Honourable House today to advise the public of some very positive news.
By mid-January 2010, through Newfoundland Labrador Housing, the Stephenville area will have six brand new, and much needed, affordable rental homes for families and individuals. Last spring, Newfoundland Labrador Housing awarded a $783,000 contract to Whalen Enterprises Ltd. for the design and construction of three accessible duplexes on Wyoming Drive.
We have been eagerly anticipating the completion of this new project given that vacancy rates have been at an all-time low throughout the province of late. With the holiday season nearly upon us, this is a wonderful time to make this announcement.
The six new social housing dwellings replace homes that were lost during flooding in September 2005. One of the six units is fully accessible with three bedrooms, while five units are semi-accessible with 36 inch-wide doors, as opposed to the standard 32 inches. This is in keeping with the goals of the Provincial Social Housing Plan, to increase the availability of accessible social housing and individuals’ well-being by enabling persons with disabilities to live more independently and participate in community life.
The buildings are one-level dwellings with flushed, easy-access entrances. The project also includes significant exterior site landscaping such as reinstatement of sidewalks, curbs, gutters, pavement and roadways.
The two-bedroom design addresses the greatest current rental needs in the town, and in fact, most of our province. This project shows the long-term interest and commitment by the Provincial Government to continue revitalizing rural communities with adequate social housing opportunities.
As members would know, Newfoundland Labrador Housing is the province’s largest landlord with approximately 5,511 non-profit social housing dwellings province-wide, approximately 284 of those houses service the Stephenville regional area which includes communities as far south as Port aux Basques and Ramea.
Newfoundland Labrador Housing (Housing) has selected the winners of its 2009 Scholarship Program. The winners were announced today by the Honourable Tom Hedderson, Minister of Transportation and Works and Minister Responsible for Housing.
Each year, Housing awards scholarships to high school graduates and adults pursuing a post-secondary education. The scholarships are awarded in the Avalon/East, Central and Western/Labrador regions to tenants’ children and adult tenants returning to school. Each scholarship is valued at $1,000.
“I am so pleased to announce the winners of Housing’s 2009 Scholarship Program,” said Minister Hedderson. “If we expect to have qualified men and women in the workforce in the future, it is important that as a government, we provide our support today to those striving to get an education. These scholarship winners are talented, hard-working individuals who realize how important it is to obtain an education in order to reach their goals. I offer my sincere congratulations on their achievement and wish them all the best in their studies and future endeavours.”
Housing’s 2009 scholarship winners are:
Avalon/Eastern Region
Central Region
Western/Labrador Region
Winners of the adult scholarships are selected based on an interview that assesses initiative, need and community experience.
Youth scholarships are awarded based on the results of the Department of Education’s scholarship score, which is derived from a student’s performance on public examinations.
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Media contacts:
Roger Scaplen
Director of Communications
Department of Transportation and Works
709-729-3015, 697-5267
rogerscaplen@gov.nl.ca
Jenny Bowring
Manager, Communications
Newfoundland Labrador Housing
709-724-3055
jmbowring@nlhc.nl.ca
The Honourable Tom Hedderson, Minister of Transportation and Works and Minister Responsible for Newfoundland Labrador Housing (Housing), today announced that Classic Woodwork Ltd. has been awarded a $366,000 contract to build new kitchen cabinets for installation in 92 social housing dwellings in St. John’s.
“The modernization and improvement focus that Housing has been putting into its properties throughout the province this year is extensive and involves both outdoor and indoor upgrades,” said Minister Hedderson. “The driving force behind this work is the Williams Government’s new social housing plan which focuses on enhancing the aging social housing portfolio and providing tenants with improved and modern quality homes.”
The kitchen cabinets are to be installed by Housing staff in units on Blackmarsh Road, Cowperthwaite Court, Portia Place, Chalker Place and Crosbie Road. The anticipated completion date for supply and delivery of the cabinets is March 2010.
“I am delighted by the amount of investment that Housing is making in these neighbourhoods,” said Bob Ridgley, MHA for St. John’s North. “Many of these homes have also received extensive exterior upgrades as well over the past few months, all of which I am sure is most appreciated by families that live there.”
“I am quite pleased that Housing is retrofitting these homes,” said Ed Buckingham, MHA for St. John’s East. “It is important that our social housing units are modernized and maintained on a regular basis, inside and out.”
These current upgrades and repairs are part of Housing’s annual Modernization and Improvement program. As part of Budget 2009: Building on Our Strong Foundation, the Provincial Government will invest $14.55 million for building, renovating and retro-fitting social housing infrastructure throughout Newfoundland and Labrador.
This work is in keeping with the goals of the Social Housing Plan for Newfoundland and Labrador – Secure Foundations, which outlines a new long-term vision for social housing aimed at improving the housing circumstances of lower-income households and helping to create healthier communities.
In the spring, the federal and provincial governments announced a joint investment of $93 million to build new and renovate existing affordable housing throughout the province over the next two years. Overall, the provincial contribution is $50 million, with the Federal Government contributing a further $43 million.
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Media contacts:
Roger Scaplen
Director of Communications
Department of Transportation and Works
709-729-3015, 697-5267
rogerscaplen@gov.nl.ca
Jenny Bowring
Manager, Communications
Newfoundland Labrador Housing
709-724-3055
jmbowring@nlhc.nl.ca
Donna Ivey
Communications Manager
Government Members Office
709-729-0898, 697-1424
donnaivey@gov.nl.ca
The Honourable Tom Hedderson, Minister of Transportation and Works and Minister Responsible for Newfoundland Labrador Housing (Housing), today announced an $85,000 contract for Pyramid Construction Ltd. to construct and extend a new parking lot area for the Froude Avenue Community Centre in St. John’s.
“Froude Avenue Community Centre is one of eight community centres and affiliated neighbourhood centres supported by Housing throughout our province and they are extremely important to improving the quality of life in their respective neighbourhoods,” said Minister Hedderson. “I am pleased to see this project taking place to make the parking lot and nearby basketball court safer for both patrons and youth.”
The project will involve the removal and replacement of asphalt pavement, the installation of new clothes line poles, new basketball posts in the nearby court, and the relocation of an existing shed on the property. The anticipated completion date for this project is early 2010. This project is part of the long-term revitalization of the area that began in 2008.
“My association with Froude Avenue Community Centre and the Froude Avenue-Cashin Avenue neighbourhood goes back a long way, and I can tell you firsthand that every single modernization and improvement that happens there is appreciated and deserved,” said the Honourable Shawn Skinner, MHA for St. John’s Centre.
“Froude Avenue Community Centre has been particularly active and successful in delivering programs and services to tenants from children to seniors and this upgrade will enhance safety and aesthetics.”
This work is in keeping with the goals of the Social Housing Plan for Newfoundland and Labrador – Secure Foundations, which outlines a new long-term vision for social housing aimed at improving the circumstances of lower-income households and helping to create healthier communities.
These current upgrades and repairs are part of Housing’s annual Modernization and Improvement program. As part of Budget 2009: Building on Our Strong Foundation, the Provincial Government will invest $14.55 million for building, renovating and retro-fitting social housing infrastructure throughout Newfoundland and Labrador.
In the spring, the federal and provincial governments announced a joint investment of $93 million to build new and renovate existing affordable housing throughout the province over the next two years. Overall, the provincial contribution is $50 million, with the Federal Government contributing a further $43 million.
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Media contacts:
Roger Scaplen
Director of Communications
Department of Transportation and Works
709-729-3015, 697-5267
rogerscaplen@gov.nl.ca
Jenny Bowring
Manager, Communications
Newfoundland Labrador Housing
709-724-3055
jmbowring@nlhc.nl.ca
Denise Payne
Executive Assistant for
Hon. Shawn Skinner, MHA for St. John’s Centre
709-729-2568
denisepayne@gov.nl.ca