The owners of public housing downtown St. John’s say they have a plan to modernize and improve units on Livingstone Street over the next two years, but people in the area are concerned about recent fires.

Newfoundland and Labrador Housing says one of the units which caught fire last weekend had been vacant for only two weeks.

It says properties on the street have been secured, but it acknowledges that there have been frequent break-ins and vandalism.

NLHC says it has spent $291,000 on repair work in the area, plus nearly $423,000 on demolition of six homes lost to fire earlier this year.

Some $850,000 has been set aside for the Livingstone Street modernization plan.

Some who live in the area are concerned about fires, vandalism and squatting and do not think that NLHC is properly secu

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