NL NDP Leader Jim Dinn (St. John’s Centre) held a press conference today responding to the scathing Auditor General (AG) report on NL Housing Corporation (NLHC) and its management of public housing stock. Dinn says the report shows very clearly that the former Liberal government neglected public housing and has directly deepened the housing crisis due to their inaction.
Since first being elected, Dinn has been working on getting people housing, advocating for investment in non-market, community based housing, supports for non-profits to acquire housing units for their use, and supporting groups like the Co-operative Housing Association of NL to relieve strain on the housing market. He says that reading this report not only vindicated his thoughts on how public housing is treated in this province, but also gaslit at the amount of misleading this former government did in response to housing issues.
“I don’t know whether to be vindicated due to the report showing me everything I have been saying for the past six years is completely correct, or if I just feel gaslit from all the times the former Liberal government and it’s revolving door of housing Ministers refused to take these issues seriously when I asked,” Dinn said. “I lost my speaking privileges in the House of Assembly for calling the Liberals out for lying about new housing builds, yet this report proves that that wasn’t the only thing they lied about.”
“For the former Liberal Premier to tell media that these are issues that need to be address after the years of neglect and political will from his government to invest in and support programs that would help those in our province who are unhoused is plainly disrespectful,” Dinn continued.
“Refusal for rent control, refusal to invest in non-market housing, and this is what the Liberals have left us with,” said Dinn. “This is simply about the Liberals prioritizing profit for their friends and the wealthy over actually taking care of our vulnerable population. It’s that simple.”
“The NL NDP has a fulsome housing plan that not only invests in all levels of housing, whether you’re buying or renting, but also delivers actual solutions to solve this crisis. It is up to this current government to get it right, and we hope they will work with us to ensure these solutions are delivering the best outcomes for the province.”