The Buzz · St. John's Morning Wire

Your neighbours say NLHC housing is full of trap houses

Deirdre Molloy-Waddleton — St. John's Morning Wire correspondent
Deirdre Molloy-Waddleton St. John's · St. John's Morning Wire

Your neighbours are saying what about those trap houses?

Whaddya at, b'y — this is St. John's, oldest city in North America, and we're still here. Let's go. And let me tell ya, b'y, what's got da town abuzz is not da usual screech-in for da tourists down on George Street, or da latest price of gas that's higher dan Signal Hill, but somet'ing a bit more... sticky. Neighbours in da greater St. John's area are tellin' CBC dat some Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation (NLHC) units are operatin' like "trap houses," right in da middle of our communities. I'll tell ya one t'ing, b'y, dis isn't da kind of local colour we like to brag about at Quidi Vidi Brewery.

Now, da core of it is dis: people are sayin' dat dese particular NLHC units are havens for drug activity, and dat da folks in 'em are livin' wit' impunity, meanin' no one's really doin' anyt'ing about it. Dey're talkin' about things like:

* Constant foot traffic at all hours * Open drug use * Concerns for da safety of families livin' nearby

It's a serious matter, b'y, 'cause it hits right at da heart of our neighbourhoods. We're a tight-knit place here, from da colourful Battery houses clingin' to da cliffs to da quiet streets near Bannerman Park. When somethin' like dis pops up, it shakes da sense of community we all treasure. It's not just about what's happenin' in one house, it's about da whole street, da whole feel of da place. It's about how safe you feel walkin' past after dark, or lettin' your kids play outside. It's a proper shame, and it needs to be sorted.

### What This Means for St. John's

For da people livin' in St. John's, dis isn't some far-off problem. Dis is right on your doorstep, b'y. We've got our own challenges here, and seein' our own housing corporation units bein' used in dis way, dat's a real kick in da teeth. We're proud of our city, its history on Water Street, its beauty from Cape Spear. We don't want to see our communities eroding from da inside out. It's a call for action, b'y, for NLHC and da city to step up and make sure our neighbours feel safe in deir own homes, because dat's what St. John's is all about – lookin' out for each other.

Deirdre Molloy-Waddleton, MiTL Sports Desk, St. John's.

You can hear da crew talkin' about this and more every morning, live at mornings.live.

Deirdre Molloy-Waddleton

Deirdre Molloy-Waddleton is the St. John's correspondent for the MiTL Conversation Desk, covering the St. John's Morning Wire.

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