Tent protesters upset about for-profit housing unit they say is unfit to live in

Homeless tent protesters in St. John's who received a for-profit housing unit on Monday say they've been left disgusted and dismayed by the living conditions inside.

Karen Peddle had been living in one of the tents in front of Confederation Building as part of a weeks-long protest about affordable housing availability in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Two days ago, she moved into a unit only to discover that the place was filthy and did not have usable appliances like a working stove or a washer and dryer.

"It was dirty, the floor was dirty, there was a bucket of needles used underneath the bathroom sink, the ceiling is not done. There is no oven, the water is not working right, there are flies, it's ridiculous," she told reporters outside the housing unit.

As she spoke, workers holding paint and cleaning tools entered the house. She said that the Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation, which oversees the city's network of for-profit emergency shelters and rooming houses, had come yesterday to inspect the unit and that cleaners arrived that morning.

Jim Dinn, headof the N.L. NDPwho has been outspoken both inside and outside of the House of Assembly about what he calls a housing crisis in the province, shared pictures of the unit with The Telegram, highlighting the poor living conditions.

"Why does it take the media to get the government to react?" Dinn said. "I understand now that they've sent people in to clean the place. That should have been done at the beginning when they promised solutions."

The house is privately owned, and the province pays its owner directly to house people there.Dinn says he opposes thatmodel and instead advocates for non-profit,community-based housing.

"We spent, I think, $10.5 million on emergency shelters, half of which was on for-profit shelters," he said. "I can't help but think of the money that could have been used to build affordable homes, that's the first thing, or to set up shelters."

The interview was abruptly stopped when police officers marched to Peddle's housing unit and asked to speak with her. Police cars were at the scene shortly after CBCNews arrived.

"I've been here for two days and there is already a complaint?" Peddle asked the police officer. The officer refused to speak with her in front of the media, so they walked inside the house.

Dinn, who watched the scene unfold, said, "I didn't quite expect that it would end up with the police being brought in. If this is part of the deal, there's something terribly wrong here."

Later, Peddle said the police were called by the owner to ask her to leave the property and allow the cleaners to do their work.

WATCH | The CBC's Ryan Cooke reports on the ongoing housing crisis:

Homeless tent protesters slam deplorable conditions at for-profit shelter

12 months ago

Duration 1:55

Some people who have been camped out on the lawn of Confederation Building for weeks say they will return to their tent instead of staying in their new unit in a for-profit shelter which they say is littered with rat feces and boxes full of needles. The CBCs Ryan Cooke has the latest on the ongoing story, including when police showed up.

Another person from the tent encampments, Steven Black, also moved in two days ago with his son, but into the basement unit. He says the conditions downstairsare worse.

"The oven isn't working," he said as he led reporters into the basement. He tapped the walls, saying, "Look at this, all sheets of plywood. It's a fire hazard."

There was a sign on the wall of the bathroom that said "out of order." Black said it had been there since they arrived.

The woman who owns the house came downstairs and told reporters to leave. Then a physical altercation occurred between her and Black.

Peddle said she was informed that this unit would be temporary before transitioning to a permanent unit. However, she says that she won't leave until she has spoken with N.L. Housing, otherwise she will return to living in a tent.

"This is why I didn't want to go into shelters. That's why I was in a tent in the first place, because I don't want to be shifted around," she said.

Peddle said she has been living in tents for months and is looking forward to a place where she can live with her 14-year-old son, who is currently in foster care.

Reporters at Confederation Building requested an interview with Housing Minister Paul Pike but a spokesperson declined, saying Pike was in a meeting.

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