FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Town Calls for Re-consideration on Rapid Housing Initiative Decision
Release Date: March 22, 2021
The Town of Happy Valley-Goose Bay is calling upon the Federal Government to reconsider the decision not to approve the Town for desperately needed Rapid Housing Funding.
The Town recently applied to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s “Rapid Housing Initiative,” seeking funding for 25 units of affordable onebedroom housing to serve our population of primarily Indigenous homeless residents. The application highlighted the significant nature of the need in our community. The application stressed the gaps and the waiting times in the public housing stock, the intense market pressures in our region, and the incredibly high instances of shelter use (1.3% per capita of our population makes use of the homeless shelter, significantly higher than some major cities, such as Toronto at 0.29% and Vancouver at 0.32%).
In an open letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Hon. Ahmed Hussen, Minister Responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, Hon. Seamus O’Regan and Yvonne Jones, MP for Labrador, the 12th Council of the Town of Happy Valley-Goose Bay, stated:
“Labrador desperately needs significant investment in housing, and our local and regional governments are simply not able to provide the resources to meet the demand on our own. Increased federal investment would save lives in our Town and across Labrador.”
The 12th Council of the Town of Happy Valley-Goose Bay is calling upon the Federal Government to increase the amount of funding allocated to the Rapid Housing Initiative in the upcoming Parliamentary budget and reconsider the Town’s application as one of utmost urgency.
Media Contact:
Waylon Williams, Manager of Public Relations
Tel: 709-896-1609
Email: pr@townhvgb.com
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To view the letter, click the below link: