St. John's man fears he'll be 'back on the street' after being evicted from social housing

When Kyle Harbin moved from a private shelter to a shared house in the heart of St. John’s, he hoped for stability, and a transition into a new, comfortable life. 

He signed a lease to an apartment owned by the same company that runs the shelter: 3 Birds Housing Solutions. The agreement, which Harbin inked in December 2023, was part of a supported living program funded by the Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation (NLHC) to support those with complex needs.

Harbin’s rent of $700 a month is collected directly from his income support. He said that made up most of his monthly income, but he can still get by with the help of food banks and other resources.

But that’s about to come to an end in the new year. 

The 40-year-old said he was met with a no-fault eviction notice from the management company in October — and he needs to leave by the end of February.

“This is a no-fault termination, meaning it is not based on any breach of the rental agreement or tenant conduct,” the written eviction notice from 3 Birds Housing Solutions says. 

The eviction document, obtained by CBC News, continued on to say the landlord provided more than the required written notice of 90 days.

3 Birds Housing Solutions declined an interview request and refused to comment due to privacy reasons. 

In an emailed statement, Housing Minister Joedy Wall said 3 Birds' transitional living program requires engagement from tenants as per a set of rules and criteria. NLHC provides the property for the program at no cost and a support grant of $71,000.

"Non-profit operators work closely with residents to support program participation, but there are times when an operator may need to ask someone to leave the program so that someone else can join and benefit," Wall wrote. " Transitional housing falls outside the Residential Tenancies Act."

Wall said the 3 Birds initiative is currently at capacity with 12 residents, but NLHC has similar arrangements available throughout the province.

"In the event that someone is unsuccessful in a transitional housing program, we encourage them to connect with well-established community supports like Choices for Youth, Stella’s Circle and End Homelessness St. John’s to help navigate next steps," he said.

The Progressive Conservatives have set a goal to build 10,000 new homes over the next five years.

Harbin said he had dreams to one day move out of the public housing system and into a one-bedroom apartment of his own. He said that’s now getting beyond his reach.