Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation is accepting applications for the new Home Modification Program announced in Budget 2011 Standing Strong: For Prosperity. For Our Future. For Newfoundland and Labrador.
At the Husky Energy Easter Seals House in St. John’s today, the Honourable Darin King, Minister of Human Resources, Labour and Employment and Minister Responsible for Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation, encouraged potential individuals to apply for the program.
“The goal of the Home Modification Program is to provide assistance that will enable persons with accessibility needs the opportunity to modify their homes to suit their needs,” said Minister King. “Creating a more barrier-free living environment and helping people to live independently in their homes provides a sense of security and dignity that is fundamental.”
The $1 million budget investment for this new program, administered by Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation, is being further enhanced with $2 million from the Provincial Home Repair Program; this brings the total funding for this new Home Modification Program to $3 million.
Previously, persons requiring accessibility modifications to their homes were assisted with funding under the accessibility component of the Provincial Home Repair Program. In an effort to create an enhanced, dedicated and administratively more focused program, the new Home Modification Program was introduced. It is available for persons with low-to-moderate incomes, requiring home accessibility modifications.
“We realize that accessibility can mean different things for different people,” said Minister King. “In light of that, the Home Modification Program is meant to provide people with the opportunity to address accessibility needs in their living space, hopefully making everyday life a little easier and enabling them to continue living in their own homes.”
This new program directly supports the goals of the Social Housing Plan for Newfoundland and Labrador, Secure Foundations, released in August 2009, which includes supporting home modifications to address the accessibility needs of seniors and persons with disabilities.
Assistance will be available to eligible clients in the form of a forgivable grant of up to $7,500. Repairs exceeding these levels may be addressed under a repayable loan, with modest terms, of up to $10,000, and $13,000 in Labrador.
Applications can be downloaded from www.nlhc.nl.ca, and are also available at Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation regional offices.
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Media contacts:
Bradley Power
Director of Communications
Department of Human Resources, Labour and Employment
709-729-0753, 699-5707
bradleypower@gov.nl.ca
Jenny Bowring
Manager, Communications
Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation
709-724-3055
jmbowring@nlhc.nl.ca
The Honourable Darin King, Minister of Human Resources, Labour and Employment and Minister Responsible for Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation, will hold a news conference tomorrow (Wednesday, April 27) to announce details of the Provincial Government’s new Home Modification Program, announced in Budget 2011 Standing Strong: For Prosperity. For Our Future. For Newfoundland and Labrador.
The event will take place 11:30 a.m., at the Easter Seals Newfoundland and Labrador Building, 206 Mount Scio Road, St. John’s.
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Media contacts:
Bradley Power
Director of Communications
Department of Human Resources, Labour and Employment
709-729-0753, 699-5707
bradleypower@gov.nl.ca
Jenny Bowring
Manager, Communications
Newfoundland Labrador Housing
709-724-3055
jmbowring@nlhc.nl.ca
Newfoundland Labrador Housing Corporation is now accepting applications for the new $12-million Residential Energy Efficiency Program (REEP) announced in Budget 2011- Standing Strong: For Prosperity. For Our Future. For Newfoundland and Labrador. The program will provide $4 million annually over three years.
“Budget 2011 contains significant investments in Newfoundland Labrador Housing, and the Residential Energy Efficiency Program is one of several programs that will assist many low-income homeowners to upgrade their homes, making them more affordable in the long term,” said the Honourable Darin King, Minister of Human Resources, Labour and Employment and Minister Responsible for Newfoundland Labrador Housing Corporation. “During its first two years as a pilot program, nearly $7 million in Residential Energy Efficiency Program grants enabled 2,000 low-income homeowners, mainly in rural communities throughout the province, to make retrofits that realized an average household energy savings of 35 per cent and cash savings of nearly $800 a year.”
This program directly supports the goals of the Provincial Social Housing Plan, Secure Foundations, which was released in August 2009, and includes promoting renovation programs for lower-income homeowners to improve energy efficiency and conservation. It also addresses the long-term goals of the Poverty Reduction Strategy, which are to improve the housing circumstances of low-income households and help create healthier communities.
“As a government we must always consider how policies relate to and impact the individuals they are meant to assist. The Residential Energy Efficiency Program is an initiative that has had excellent results and has proven to be an important component of the affordable housing solution,” said Minister King.
REEP is available to homeowners of single, row and semi-detached homes with an annual household income level of $32,500 or less.
Approximately 1,000 applicants will be approved on a “first-come, first-served” basis. There will be no wait list kept from year-to-year. For the 2012-13 and 2013-14 fiscal years, applications must be submitted by April 1 each year. This will provide for a total of 3,000 applications to be approved over the next three years. Assistance will be available in the form of a grant of up to $3,000 per unit on the island portion of the province and up to $4,000 per unit in Labrador. Newfoundland Labrador Housing will provide funding for pre and post-energy inspections and audits by an independent energy advisor.
Applications can be downloaded from www.nlhc.nl.ca, or can be attained by calling: 709-724-3132 or 709-724-3211, or toll-free, 1-866-331-3436. Applications are also available at regional NL Housing offices.
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Media contacts:
Bradley Power
Director of Communications
Department of Human Resources, Labour
and Employment
709-729-0753, 699-5707
bradleypower@gov.nl.ca
Jenny Bowring
Manager, Communications
Newfoundland Labrador Housing
709-724-3055
jmbowring@nlhc.nl.ca
I rise today to inform Honourable Members that the Provincial Government will contribute $30,000 to support the Canadian Housing and Renewal Association’s annual congress, being held in our province May 2-5, 2012.
This will be the first time in its 44-year history that this national non-profit organization will hold its annual gathering here in Newfoundland and Labrador.
The association represents those who manage and deliver housing programs in communities across Canada and serves to strengthen and support the social housing sector. Its members include housing providers, governments, municipalities, associations, and individuals with an interest in housing.
As Minister Responsible for the Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation, I am pleased to announce our support for this association. Not only will this congress bring people from across the country to our province, it will also provide an opportunity for us to showcase what we have accomplished through our Provincial Social Housing Plan, Secure Foundations.
This Provincial Government has made considerable progress in the provision of affordable housing for those with the greatest need. The congress in 2012 will be our opportunity to demonstrate our continued support for affordable housing for families and individuals with the greatest need.
In addition, it will provide an opportunity for all of our stakeholders, including our partner the newly-established Newfoundland and Labrador Housing and Homelessness Network, to lead the conference planning for this event. Indeed the current president of the Canadian Housing and Renewal Association is Bruce Pearce, a well-known local advocate for affordable housing here in this province.
In closing, I would like to say how pleased I am that this Provincial Government supports the hosting of the May 2012 Canadian Housing and Renewal Association Congress in the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador. In response to their invitation, I look forward to attending this year’s congress in Regina and extending an invitation to all delegates to visit our province next year in May.