The wait for a public housing unit in New Brunswick just reached an all time high. Today, 14,000 households are sitting on the provincial waitlist. This is a massive jump from the 4,300 households waiting in 2020. If you are looking for an affordable place to live, you know the struggle firsthand.

According to a recent report from CBC News, the province is finally pushing to build new public housing after decades of dormant growth. Residents in these government subsidized units typically pay 30 percent of their household income on rent.

Building Up the Housing Supply

David Hickey, the minister responsible for housing, says the government is building in an unprecedented way. The province currently has roughly 4,600 public housing units. Hickey notes this supply remained stagnant for decades.

“The public housing units that we built in the 1970s are still the public housing units today,” Hickey told CBC. “The rent supplements that we put in the 1970s in many cases are not affordable today.”

The current government opened 200 public housing units so far. Another 198 units are in progress. The ultimate goal is to build 573 public housing units within their mandate. In March, the provincial and federal governments announced a combined $210 million in capital spending. This money helps non profit developers build up to 1,200 new housing units across New Brunswick over the next two years.

Hickey wants 20 percent of housing in the province to be non market housing directed to support affordability measures.

The Reality of Long Wait Times

The demand climbs steadily alongside the cost of living. Julia Woodhall Melnik is a social sciences professor at the University of New Brunswick. She says increased costs for services, transportation, food and hydro impact both homeowners and renters.

Woodhall Melnik started studying the waitlist in 2018. Back then, people typically waited between 12 and 18 months for an affordable housing unit. Today, that wait time stretches to eight or 10 years. She notes that more than half of renters in the province already meet the income requirements for subsidized housing.

The system prioritizes people based on need rather than a first come first served basis. Priority cases include people with children, those fleeing family violence or individuals at risk of becoming homeless. This means individuals with lower priority face staggering wait times. Matthew Wright, a wheelchair user, recently settled into a subsidized ground floor apartment after spending 35 years on the waiting list.

While new construction brings hope, the need for affordable living spaces remains a pressing issue for thousands of New Brunswickers.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many people are on the public housing waitlist in New Brunswick?

There are currently 14,000 households on the provincial waitlist for public housing. This number grew from 4,300 households in 2020.

How much rent do people in public housing pay?

Residents in government subsidized housing typically pay 30 percent of their household income toward rent.

How long does it take to get a public housing unit?

Wait times vary based on priority needs. While people waited 12 to 18 months in 2018, average wait times now stretch between eight and 10 years. Some individuals wait much longer.

What is the government doing to fix the housing shortage?

The provincial government opened 200 new public housing units and has another 198 in progress. They also partnered with the federal government to provide $210 million to non profit developers to build up to 1,200 new units over the next two years.