St. John's housing development making life better for 46 families
"We have a community plan to end homelessness," says Bruce Pearce
An impressive housing project on a former U.S. military base in St. John's is helping make life easier for 46 families, and helping address a serious social issue in the area.
We have a community plan to end homelessness here in St. John's.- Bruce Pearce
"We have a community plan to end homelessness here in St. John's," said Bruce Pearce, a community development worker with End Homelessness St. John's.
"The whole idea behind that was to fit with the plan in the community, the rebirth of Pleasantville if you like, as a residential neighbourhood and making sure that it's inclusive of everybody who calls community home."
Federal, provincial and municipal governments worked together to help housing and homelessness groups build a 5,000 square foot building on two acres of surplus federal land.
The land was acquired in 2009 through the federal government's homelessness partnering strategy.
The previous owner, Canada Lands Corp., sold the land to the city market value, and ownership was then transferred to the community groups for $1.
There are a total of 46 affordable housing units on the site. The main building includes 36 units, plus an additional 10 units developed in separate buildings next door.
The lower level of the main building includes a conference room and provincial learning centre that provides training for people providing services to families, as well as a community coffee shop that gives work to those who need a second chance.
The Network Cafe opened in May and is run by the Newfoundland and Labrador Housing and Homelessness Network.
It gives them a purpose in life, it gives them that motivation to get up and go out and go back to work.- Cyril Tobin
It offers a fairly extensive breakfast and lunch menu five days-a-week but provincial co-ordinator Cyril Tobin said it's doing even better things for the seven people who work there.
"It gives them a purpose in life, it gives them that motivation to get up and go out and go back to work ... it creates independence as well as providing a source of income — the things that we do normally and just take for granted.
"It's an opportunity to provide individuals who face various barriers when entering the work force an opportunity to gain some employment skills and to re-enter on a social basis as well."
The business is doing well and Tobin said it has branched out into catering services.
He hopes this increase in services will enable them to hire more staff.
With more than 10,000 households in St. John's paying more than 30 per cent of their income on rent, this project is a big step forward in helping eliminate homelessness.
Imagine if that opportunity had never happened ... we wouldn't see 46 families whose lives have changed dramatically.- Bruce Pearce
"It's actually around us everyday, and that's true across the province as well, so we need to reduce that to zero," said Pearce.
"When this entire neighbourhood is built there will be about 1,000 units of housing. We just wanted to ensure that some of that is affordable for those who need it most."
Canada Lands Corp. is clearing the 64-acre site in Pleasantville and said about 50 per cent of the work is complete meaning there should be more demolition projects like this continuing through 2016.
Pearce said this endeavour has been so successful they're working to secure more land to build more affordable places to live.
"Imagine if that opportunity had never happened ... we wouldn't see 46 families whose lives have changed dramatically ... and we also have this fabulous social enterprise and training center as well for the community which meets the needs of the local neighbourhood."
