Small town, big impact: What $1.5M earmarked for affordable housing can do in Port Saunders

The small town of Port Saunders on Newfoundland's Northern Peninsula has been working to secure funding for affordable housing for more than five years.

Even so, when the provincial government announced almost $80 million late last year for affordable rental units in 51 communities across the province, town officials were taken aback, says Chris Biggin, town councillor and chair of the Port Saunders development committee.

"It was a surprise to have that kind of funding announced after all the time that we had been chasing after funds for affordable housing," he told CBC News.

"The good news is that people that are struggling with the cost of maintaining a home for themselves, they are going to get a reprieve."

The town is getting $1.5 million for 10 affordable rental units in the community.

"Once those units are done, those people can access it and probably save themselves a fair bit of money," he said. "The cost of maintaining a home or a house is just too much for many of the seniors today."

With increases in the costs of maintenance, insurance, electricity and snow clearing, people in the town are becoming overwhelmed, he said.

"Those units are going to be a godsend to many of the struggling seniors," he said.

Biggin said the process of getting approved for the funding was a bit of "a grind" without the help of consultants or engineers to support their application.

"I wanted to see this through," he said. "I don't like starting things and not finishing them. Many times along the way I wanted to throw in the towel, but I just stuck with it."

The development committee has decided to build two five-unit dwellings, which are already being designed, and the goal is for them to be complete by the end of the year.

"We want the people who are occupying those houses to know that somebody is caring," said Biggin.

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