The NDP is circulating a petition in the capital city’s downtown, calling on Newfoundland and Labrador Housing, and the department under which it falls, to allocate the proper resources for repairs to boarded-up units.

Leader Jim Dinn is particularly concerned about the recent fire at an NLHC property on Livingstone Street, which had been undergoing repairs at the time.

Dinn says neglect on the part of the housing corporation is negatively affecting the mental health and well-being of tenants and endangering the lives of people in the neighbourhood.

He says residents who live in the area feel abandoned by the corporation.

“NLHC has almost become a slumlord in some ways. I hate to use such harsh language but that’s the reality,” says Dinn.