A new position has been created at EmpowerNL aimed at reducing homelessness.

The initiative is being called Accessible Pathways to Housing.

Through that program, EmpowerNL and End Homelessness St. John’s are using over $272,000 in federal funding to hire an additional Housing Accommodation Coordinator.

Executive Director Doug Pawson says the new position will be supported through what they call “coordinated access.”

He says everyone on their team will be working together to identify people who have barriers to finding and maintaining housing, and the Housing Accommodation Coordinator will work on finding them an appropriate place to live, and connecting them with the supports needed to maintain that housing.

To underscore the need for the position, the organization cites a 2024 Homeless Point-in-Time count, during which 92 per cent of people experiencing homelessness self-reported having a disability, and three-quarters reported living with two or more disabilities.