Released December 14, 2009

New Kitchen Cabinets Slated for St. John’s Housing Units

The Honourable Tom Hedderson, Minister of Transportation and Works and Minister Responsible for Newfoundland Labrador Housing (Housing), today announced that Classic Woodwork Ltd. has been awarded a $366,000 contract to build new kitchen cabinets for installation in 92 social housing dwellings in St. John’s.

“The modernization and improvement focus that Housing has been putting into its properties throughout the province this year is extensive and involves both outdoor and indoor upgrades,” said Minister Hedderson. “The driving force behind this work is the Williams Government’s new social housing plan which focuses on enhancing the aging social housing portfolio and providing tenants with improved and modern quality homes.”

The kitchen cabinets are to be installed by Housing staff in units on Blackmarsh Road, Cowperthwaite Court, Portia Place, Chalker Place and Crosbie Road. The anticipated completion date for supply and delivery of the cabinets is March 2010.

“I am delighted by the amount of investment that Housing is making in these neighbourhoods,” said Bob Ridgley, MHA for St. John’s North. “Many of these homes have also received extensive exterior upgrades as well over the past few months, all of which I am sure is most appreciated by families that live there.”

“I am quite pleased that Housing is retrofitting these homes,” said Ed Buckingham, MHA for St. John’s East. “It is important that our social housing units are modernized and maintained on a regular basis, inside and out.”

These current upgrades and repairs are part of Housing’s annual Modernization and Improvement program. As part of Budget 2009: Building on Our Strong Foundation, the Provincial Government will invest $14.55 million for building, renovating and retro-fitting social housing infrastructure throughout Newfoundland and Labrador.

This work is in keeping with the goals of the Social Housing Plan for Newfoundland and Labrador – Secure Foundations, which outlines a new long-term vision for social housing aimed at improving the housing circumstances of lower-income households and helping to create healthier communities.

In the spring, the federal and provincial governments announced a joint investment of $93 million to build new and renovate existing affordable housing throughout the province over the next two years. Overall, the provincial contribution is $50 million, with the Federal Government contributing a further $43 million.

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