ST. JOHN'S, N.L. — It's an issue that hasn't changed over the years — Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation properties are getting old.
According to data obtained through access to information requests, newer properties — those 20 years old or less — account for just over one per cent of NL Housing's entire inventory of 5,508 buildings. A whopping 54.6 per cent of its inventory was built more than 40 years ago, and 92 per cent of those buildings are more than 30 years old.
Compounding matters is the fact that so many of its existing buildings were made at a time when families in the province were generally larger. According to the NL Housing annual report for 2018-19, over 90 per cent of current applicants are requesting one or two-bedroom homes.
"In yesteryear, there were very large families, so most of the units are old — I mean, we had some of the first public housing developed in Canada," Lisa Dempster, the minister responsible for NL Housing, told The Telegram in a recent interview. "So back then, it was not uncommon at all to see four and five-bedroom homes."
Almost 73 per cent of all NL Housing units have three bedrooms or more, so the availability of what people in need of housing assistance want is generally not in line with what the housing arm of the provincial government can offer. Some tenants live in homes with more beds than they need.
"What we have now with our aging demographics is a lot of elderly folk or two people in a home, and then we have these large housing units," Dempster said.
NL Housing properties grouped by age
• 0-10 years — 14
• 11-20 years — 10
• 21-30 years — 421
• 31-40 years — 2,060
• 41-50 years — 1,892
• Over 50 years — 1,111
Redeveloping properties
Earlier this year, the provincial and federal government came to terms on a new joint agreement for public housing support that earmarked $270.6 million in shared funds to support public housing. Spread out over a nine-year period, these funds will address new construction, repairs and renovations, amongst other items. The province intends to expand its current inventory by 15 per cent (more than 800 units) over the course of the agreement and repair 20 per cent of its current stock. Under the provincial Building Accessibility Act, one out of every 10 new units must be fully accessible (there are currently 83 across the province within NL Housing's portfolio).
With those funds, the province will also look to redevelop existing properties to meet the needs of today's applicants. Some of this work is already underway. Two three-bedroom units near Mundy Pond in St. John's were converted into four one-bedroom units, one of which is fully accessible. In Buckmaster's Circle, also in St. John's, a three-bedroom unit was converted into separate one-bedroom and two-bedroom units.
"Despite the $54 million investment, we're not totally where we need to be." — Lisa Dempster
"Where it is most cost-effective, we will take a large unit and break it down into two, but I've also asked staff to look at — depending on the cost of renos — (whether it) is better in some cases to sell the unit and just buy a couple of smaller ones," she added.
As for the age of NL Housing's inventory, Dempster said the province has worked hard to look after the properties. Since 2014, NL Housing has spent approximately $54 million on upgrades to almost 4,400 units.
"That equates into upgrades being completed on about 80 per cent of the portfolio, and that's huge," she said.
NL Housing prioritizes addressing doors, windows and roofing before moving inside to look at other aspects of the units, and Dempster confirmed there will be more of this work happening in the years ahead.
"Despite the $54 million investment, we're not totally where we need to be," she said.
NL Housing public rentals by number of bedrooms
• Bedsitting — 2
• One bedroom — 429
• Two bedrooms — 1,074
• Three bedrooms — 3,430
• Four bedrooms — 591
• Five bedrooms — 34
Rural challenges
Right now, the vast majority of NL Housing's public units (57.4 per cent) are located on the Avalon Peninsula. In terms of challenges facing rural properties compared to those in more urban parts of the province, getting maintenance and inspections dealt with in the timely fashion isn't always easy according to the minister. For example, Dempster said the need for public housing in Labrador West is often dependent on the economy, which at the moment is doing fairly well.
"So, what we see then is our housing needs spike as well, but we've been having a real challenge hiring a maintenance person on the ground to get ... minor repairs carried out so that we can get them filled with the waitlist that's there."
For the last five years, the waitlist at year-end for NL Housing was usually around 800 and just about the same number of applicants were placed in homes over the course of each year. In 2018-19, the year-end waitlist figure jumped to 1,268, but this rise can be attributed to some changes NL Housing introduced. An online application makes it easier for people to apply, and applications no longer expire after 12 months. NL Housing now co-ordinates receipt of income verification from Canada Revenue Agency, a task that was previously the applicant's responsibility.
Government has also increased the availability of rent supplements in recent years for people who can find appropriate private accommodations but are unable to afford them without financial help — Dempster said availability jumped from approximately 1,000 to 1,800. This program provides up to $800 a month, with the applicant required to cover 25 per cent of rent.
Beyond their assessed need, the flexibility of applicants when it comes to what they're requesting can impact how quickly they move from the waitlist to public housing. Dempster noted a person with no specific location demands or pets, for example, is easier to accommodate than a person looking to live in a specific part of St. John's or in a property where they keep a pet or smoke inside.
NL Housing public rentals by region/office
• Avalon — 3,192
• Burin — 302
• Gander — 250
• Grand Falls-Windsor — 475
• Corner Brook — 802
• Stephenville — 290
• Labrador — 249
Twitter: @CBNAndrew
