N.L. opens up land around northeast Avalon Peninsula for affordable rentals

The Newfoundland and Labrador government is hoping to spur new affordable housing by opening vacant, government-owned lands for development.

The provincial government has put out a call for expressions of interest on 23 parcels of land, totalling 325 hectares, around the northeast Avalon Peninsula. Most of the land is in St. John's, with two parcels in Paradise and three in Conception Bay South.

The goal is for the land to be used for affordable rental housing.

"We are making available properties at fair market value that can be developed specifically for affordable rental housing," said John Abbott, minister of transportation and infrastructure, in a press release on Monday.

"It is our hope as a government that these vacant government-owned properties will be part of the solution to help meet the demand we are currently experiencing in our province."

In the same press release, Premier Andrew Furey said the move is a key pillar of the province's five-point housing strategy, released in October, which stated the government would look at making vacant land and buildings available for affordable housing. Monday's announcement did not include any buildings, however, so any development on the land would start from scratch.

Some parcels are adjacent to residential neighbourhoods, in areas such as Jensen Camp Road, New Pennywell Road and Blackmarsh Road. Most, however, are in undeveloped areas along the sides of the Team Gushue Highway, Thorburn Road, Robert E. Howlett Memorial Drive and the Conception Bay South Bypass. 

All properties are up for bids on Merx, the online platform the province uses for public tendering. 

"Some of these properties were once sites of government buildings while others are unused portions of larger parcels of land acquired for purposes of government infrastructure projects," the tender document reads.

"By including a vacant property on this list the department is making no statement as to its appropriateness or readiness for rental housing development."

Any developers interested in the parcels of land would be responsible for "determining the development potential of the land," including zoning permits, site remediation, access to utilities and municipal services, says the document.

Housing researcher and consultant Hope Jamieson said unlocking land for affordable housing is a great first step but it likely won't bring quick solutions to the housing crisis.

Much of the land will need to be rezoned, she said, away from open space or institutional zoning.

"It often takes months, up to a year. Sometimes a little more," she said. "But as a program, I'm not going to let perfect be the enemy of good with anything in a housing crisis. So it's a good first step."