A group representing unincorporated communities on the Conception Bay North Shore is encouraged by a recent meeting with the minister responsible for emergency services, Helen Conway-Ottenheimer.

Stella Johnson of Northern Bay says communities not under a municipal umbrella lost 170 houses, some of which were razed to the ground, and others that were condemned due to structural issues or contamination.

She says a committee was formed to advocate for affected communities, but then the provincial election was called and government went into caretaker mode, pausing any progress.

Key among their concerns is ensuring that residents displaced by the fire are compensated for their rent.

Johnson says a government program currently paying rent for those affected runs out at the end of November

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