Dinn Demands Government Plan to Replace Damaged Units with Public Housing

For Immediate Release

April 4, 2025

NL NDP Leader Jim Dinn (St. John’s Centre) is deeply concerned about government’s plans to demolish Livingstone Street housing units. Dinn is demanding a commitment to replace them with new public housing and to renovate the remaining units, saying the government has neglected the area for years.

“If these units are beyond repair, then it’s understandable, but what the residents in the area need to hear is government’s commitment to replace them with more public units,” said Dinn. “The wait list for NL Housing continues to grow, and I see no plans from government or the Minister to create more public housing during a housing crisis.”

In November, NL Housing sold off a 4-unit home that had been damaged by a fire. Dinn, along with many housing advocates in the Livingstone-Tessier Park area, have worked tirelessly to get government to build a community centre in the area, noting the benefits to the residents in the area.

“It’s incredibly frustrating that government chose to quietly sell those units and land instead of replacing the housing or building a community centre to address crime, support services, and safety,” said Dinn. “Now, even more units are damaged due to neglect and the lack of safe, affordable housing. If government invested in public, community-based housing, fewer units would be boarded up, and more people would have a place to live.”

Dinn is questioning the government's intentions for the area, saying the planned demolition raises serious concerns.

“I keep asking: what’s the plan here? Will government continue letting homes fall beyond repair, left to burn or sit boarded up for years? Is this a slow effort to remove NL Housing from the area and erase the reality of what people are facing? We need to see a plan, one that shows government recognizes the importance of investing in public housing. Residents have waited long enough.”

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For further information, contact Stephanie Curran, Media and Communications Officer, NDP Caucus at 330-0328 (o), or stephaniecurran@gov.nl.ca  

NR 442025 Dinn Demands Government Plan to Replace Damaged Units with Public Housing.pdf

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