The Honourable Sherry Gambin-Walsh, Minister of Children, Seniors and Social Development and Minister Responsible for the Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation (NLHC), today provided an update on the Froude Avenue fire situation which resulted in the complete loss of eight NLHC units and displaced 20 tenants.

The update is as follows:

• Three of eight families displaced by June’s fire on Froude Avenue now have keys to new permanent housing with NLHC and can move into their new units.
• NLHC units have been identified for three other displaced families and are being prepared for occupancy, and will be offered to those tenants within two to three weeks.
• The corporation has also identified units for two families requiring accessible housing and those units will be ready late July/early August.

Four other families (across the street from the eight units which were destroyed) had been temporarily displaced due to heavy smoke damage. These units were cleared for tenants to return on June 29.

An NLHC staff person was assigned to each family who had been displaced. The families are contacted daily by NLHC who check in with them, provide support, answer any questions they have and keep them apprised on the status of their housing situation.

Additionally, NLHC is currently exploring options, including seeking interest of insurance companies, to offer low-cost renters insurance to residents of social and affordable housing. In the provinces of Ontario, British Columbia and Manitoba, housing ministries have worked with tenant organizations and insurance companies to offer low-cost renters insurance to residents of social housing.

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“I want to once again thank everyone for their hard work and dedication in helping those impacted by the recent fire on Froude Avenue. We continue to assist individuals and families affected. There has been an incredible outpouring of support and this has been a true example of what community means.”
Honourable Sherry Gambin-Walsh
Minister Responsible for the Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation

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Newfoundland and Labrador Housing – www.nlhc.nl.ca

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Media contacts
Krista Dalton
Children, Seniors and Social Development
709-729-3768, 685-6492
kristadalton@gov.nl.ca

Jenny Bowring
Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation
709-724-3055, 730-5886
jmbowring@nlhc.nl.ca