As part of NL Housing’s commitment to helping community sector partners develop affordable housing, seven more projects are receiving funding through the Newfoundland and Labrador Community Housing Growth Fund.
A total of $310,000 was awarded for pre-development costs to make it easier to advance community-based projects. Projects receiving funding include:
These seven projects bring total number funded so far by the Community Housing Growth Fund to 15. The fund supports community organizations and registered charities with funding for planning and pre-development work for affordable housing projects, where the absence of this funding could be a barrier to the projects’ advancement.
Many of these projects are also conditionally approved for funding under the Provincial Government’s Affordable Rental Housing Program. Budget 2025 includes $32 million for projects under the Affordable Rental Housing Program, part of an overall $82 million that will result in the construction of approximately 800 homes. Over 180 homes are already under construction or completed through this program, with further construction anticipated to start this summer.
The Community Housing Growth Fund was created in 2024 by the Provincial Government and the national Community Housing Transformation Centre. The $1.5 million invested in the fund includes $1.25 million from the Provincial Government and $250,000 from the Centre. Funding is still available, and groups interested in applying for support can visit the Centre’s website.
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“I would encourage organizations throughout Newfoundland and Labrador to consider applying for funding from the Community Housing Growth Fund to help pre-development planning. This fund helps organizations cover costs that arise early on in a project, and we want to reduce barriers and maximize housing initiatives across the province.”
Honourable Sarah Stoodley
Acting Minister of Housing
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Learn more
Budget 2025: Smarter. Stronger. Better
More Projects Approved under Newfoundland and Labrador Community Housing Growth Fund
Funding Approved for Three Projects Through Newfoundland and Labrador Community Housing Growth Fund
Provincial Government Partnership to Support Growth of the Community Housing Sector
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On Thursday, March 27 a fire broke out in a six-unit row of homes on Livingstone Street in St. John’s owned by Newfoundland and Labrador Housing. Due to the severity of the damage from this fire, Newfoundland and Labrador Housing will be moving forward with demolition of this row of homes in the interest of public safety.
Only one of the six-units had a tenant at the time of the fire. This tenant has been living in temporary accommodations, and is scheduled to move into another Newfoundland and Labrador Housing unit next week. While repair work was underway, the units were barricaded, as there had been frequent break-ins and vandalism that caused extensive delays.
Newfoundland and Labrador Housing met with contractors this week, and is expected to begin demolition next week. Security has been on-site since March 28, and will remain until this demolition work is completed.
The Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation is also providing an update on repair and renovations work. Each year, staff with Newfoundland and Labrador Housing complete an average of 14,000 work orders for routine maintenance, ensuring that more than 5,500 homes are maintained for over 12,000 current tenants province-wide.
Between April 1, 2023 and April 1, 2025, more than 750 provincially owned homes were vacated. When any provincially owned home is vacated it requires some level of repair before it can be redistributed to new tenants. This can range from minor work, such as painting, to major and lengthy structural repairs. During this same timeframe, more than 800 homes were refurbished and made available to families.
There will always be vacancies during this refurbishment process. The current vacancy rate is four percent.
In Budget 2024, the Provincial Government increased the repairs, maintenance and renovations budget for provincially owned homes by $8 million.
Additionally, work is underway on the construction of 32 new provincially-owned homes on Janeway Place in St. John’s, with estimated completion this year. Work is also expected to begin this year on a new 40-unit apartment building in the same area.
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“I would like to express my profound thanks to staff with Newfoundland and Labrador Housing, who go above and beyond to maintain our provincial housing portfolio. The thousands of work orders they complete each year are critical to keeping our homes available to families throughout the province, and we continue to fund major vacancy repairs to ensure that homes that become available can be given to new families as quickly as possible.”
Honourable Sarah Stoodley
Acting Minister of Housing
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The Governments of Newfoundland and Labrador and Canada are providing combined funding of more than $44 million to help build over 280 new homes in Newfoundland and Labrador. These homes are part of a broader federal initiative, adding to the 965 new homes already announced in Newfoundland and Labrador since 2021.
The announcement was made by Ken McDonald, Member of Parliament for Avalon, alongside the Honourable Pam Parsons, provincial Minister Responsible for Women and Gender Equality and Member of the House of Assembly for Harbour Grace-Port de Grave. Minister Parsons made the announcement on behalf of the Honourable John G. Abbott, Minister of Housing and Minister of Mental Health and Addictions for the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador.
The announcement took place at 17-23 Dawe’s Avenue in Clarke’s Beach which received nearly $300,000 from the Affordable Housing Fund (AHF) to build six affordable rental units. The project will be operated by LID Homes and incorporates accessibility and universal design features in a rural setting near local trails and parks.
The AHF provides funding through low-interest and/or forgivable loans or contributions to partner organizations for new affordable housing and the renovation and repair of existing, affordable and community housing. This is a $14.6 billion program under the National Housing Strategy (NHS) that gives priority to projects that help people who need it most, including women and children fleeing family violence, seniors, Indigenous Peoples, people living with disabilities, those with mental health or addiction issues, veterans, and young adults.
The 26 projects receiving funding through the federal AHF are also proponents of the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador’s $80 million Affordable Rental Housing Program (ARHP), first announced in November 2023. These projects account for $17.9 million of the total ARHP funding, which supports private and community sector construction projects with a one-time forgivable loan. Successful proponents will own and manage their projects and rent to lower income households at or below rates established by the Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation, based on annual market reports published by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. Overall the ARHP is expected to result in the construction of more than 800 affordable rental homes throughout the province.
A detailed list of all the projects that received funding through the federal Affordable Housing Fund is provided in a backgrounder to this release.
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“We are pleased that the Government of Canada has made additional funding available to many of the projects our government is supporting through the provincial Affordable Rental Housing Program. Well-being starts at home, and by working together we can drastically expand affordable rental availability for residents of Newfoundland and Labrador.”
Honourable Pam Parsons
Minister Responsible for Women and Gender Equality
Member of the House of Assembly for Harbour Grace-Port de Grave
“Everyone deserves a place to call their own, and the Affordable Housing Fund is one way we’re helping make that a reality for Canadians. We will keep investing in housing projects like the ones announced today in Bay Roberts, and working with partners across the country, to end the housing crisis.”
Honourable Nathanial Erskine-Smith
Federal Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities
“The Government of Canada is committed to working with communities to meet the challenge of building more housing across Newfoundland and Labrador. Through Affordable Housing Fund, our government is increasing the supply of new housing by investing more than $25 million in the construction of 286 units, benefiting those who need it most.”
Ken McDonald, Member of Parliament for Avalon
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Learn more
Provincial Government Announces Results of RFP for Affordable Rental Housing Program
Government of Canada – Housing
Government of Canada – Housing and Infrastructure Project Map
Media contacts
Nancy Walsh
Housing
709-853-5740, 709-724-3055
njwalsh@nlhc.nl.ca
Sofia Ouslis
Office of the Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities
sofia.ouslis@infc.gc.ca
Media Relations
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
media@cmhc-schl.gc.ca
BACKGROUNDER
Projects Receiving Federal Funding Through the Affordable Housing Fund
| Project Name | Town | Funding | New Construction or Repairs | Units |
| AYC Apartments | Springdale | $235,221 | New Construction | 5 |
| Hoskins Terrace | Baie Verte | $574,056 | New Construction | 10 |
| Klondyke Affordable Living | Bay Roberts | $855,233 | New Construction | 10 |
| Wight’s Road Project | Deer Lake | $954,940 | New Construction | 8 |
| IDAM – SAWDUST ROAD | Bay Roberts | $1,425,460 | New Construction | 14 |
| Klondyke Court | Bay Roberts | $2,030,331 | New Construction | 20 |
| NLHC Affordable Housing Caledonia Road, Botwood, NL | Botwood | $627,205 | New Construction | 10 |
| St. Lawrence Affordable Housing Complex | St Lawrence | $406,235 | New Construction | 8 |
| Morey’s Apartments | Port Anson | $352,355 | New Construction | 5 |
| ARHP NL | Clarke’s Beach | $287,689 | New Construction | 6 |
| Christopher Street Project | Paradise | $1,959,125 | New Construction | 12 |
| Ashlen Crescent and St. Thomas Line | Paradise | $1,059,040 | New Construction | 6 |
| Grandview Ave and Paradise Road | Paradise | $1,022,543 | New Construction | 6 |
| Seniors Apartment Rentals Twilingate | Twillingate | $718,000 | New Construction | 10 |
| My Project – 92971 NL Corp | Fortune | $633,286 | New Construction | 10 |
| Affordable Rental Housing-Glovertown | Glovertown | $548,675 | New Construction | 10 |
| Airport Avenue | Deer Lake | $397,165 | New Construction | 6 |
| Rose’s Cottages | Burin | $696,383 | New Construction | 10 |
| 85862 NL Corp – Pouch Cove Development | Pouch Cove | $4,054,696 | New Construction | 36 |
| Affordable Rental Housing Program – EJB Contracting Ltd. | Robert’s Arm | $845,000 | New Construction | 10 |
| NL Affordable Housing Program (85577 NL Inc.) | Botwood | $1,113,141 | New Construction | 16 |
| Affordable Housing 2023-2024 (Robert’s Arm Interfaith Senior Citizens Home Inc) | Robert’s Arm | $753,000 | New Construction | 12 |
| 34 Spruce Avenue, Glenwood, NL A0G 2K0 (“The Morgan on Spruce”) | Glenwood | $2,843,686 | New Construction | 20 |
| 132 Main Street, Burin | Burin | $828,592 | New Construction | 10 |
| North River | North River | $832,943 | New Construction | 10 |
| Rockview Estates | North River | $371,174 | New Construction | 6 |
| Total: | $26,425,174.00 | 286 |
As part of continued collaboration to address the root causes of homelessness, today the Federal and Provincial Governments announced an agreement that will see an additional $2 million invested in measures to address unsheltered homelessness in Newfoundland and Labrador.
The agreement, part of the Federal Government’s Unsheltered Homelessness and Encampments Initiative (UHEI), prioritizes initiatives that directly support people living without homes, tailored to the specific realities of St. John’s. New investments through this agreement include:
The agreement recognizes the Provincial Government’s significant investments in emergency shelter and transitional housing, anticipated to be over $30 million during each year of the agreement (2024-25 to 2025-26). These investments far surpass the requirement for cost-matching under the agreement.
The continued operations of the staffed emergency shelter system and Horizons at 106 in St. John’s are part of the Community Encampment Response Plan stipulated through the joint agreement. The Provincial Government is also supporting Mercy House, the recently completed transitional and supportive living space at the Gathering Place in St. John’s.
The Honourable John G. Abbott, Minister of Housing and Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, joined the Honourable Joanne Thompson, federal Minister of Seniors and Member of Parliament for St. John’s East, and Doug Pawson, executive director of End Homelessness, St. John’s to make the announcement.
In late 2023, Premier Furey appointed a St. John’s acute homelessness task force including Minister Abbott, the mayor of the City of St. John’s and community partners to address issues that caused individuals to sleep rough in the capital city. The work of this committee informed the creation of Horizons at 106, new policy directions around homelessness, and has fostered greater collaboration amongst partners in addressing issues as they arise.
Housing provides stability and security and serves as the foundation for overall well-being. Every Canadian deserves a safe and affordable place to live, and this initiative supports the Federal Government’s progressive realization of the right to adequate housing.
The $2 million in federal funding through the agreement is in addition to what the Federal Government is investing through the regionally delivered streams of Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy, a total of approximately $61 million from 2019-2028 in Newfoundland and Labrador. More agreements with provinces and territories are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
Quotes
“As we have worked to address housing and homelessness challenges in our province, it has been clear at every turn that there is no one action or investment that can overcome these issues. This agreement is the latest in a series of efforts our government has taken, along with our federal and community partners, to help people break the cycle of homelessness. From expansion of staffed shelter beds, transitional and supportive housing to the creation of affordable housing, we are creating lasting housing solutions.”
Honourable John G. Abbott
Minister of Housing and Minister of Mental Health and Addictions
“Our government is determined to build a Canada where homelessness is no longer an issue. Together, we can support all parts of the housing spectrum so that every person has a safe, affordable place to call home. As public spaces increasingly become places of refuge, it is a reminder that we must act. Through thoughtful investments and partnerships, we can strengthen support services and take meaningful steps toward ending chronic homelessness.”
Honourable Joanne Thompson
Minister of Seniors and Member of Parliament for St. John’s East
“This investment represents a critical step in addressing unsheltered homelessness in St. John’s. The addition of micro-homes, along with enhanced support for our Housing Outreach Team and Supported Referrals Program, will help individuals not only find housing but also maintain it with the necessary supports. Collaboration across all levels of government and within the community is essential to achieving lasting change. We remain committed to ensuring every person in our city has access to safe, affordable housing and the resources they need to thrive.”
Doug Pawson
Executive Director, End Homelessness St. John’s
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Media contact
Nancy Walsh
Housing
709-853-5740, 709-724-3055
njwalsh@nlhc.nl.ca
Sofia Ouslis
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities
Sofia.ouslis@infc.gc.ca
Media Relations
Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada
613-960-9251
Toll-free: 1-877-250-7154
Email: media@infc.gc.ca
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