FREDERICTON – The New Brunswick Coalition For Tenants Rights and The Human Development Council released an open letter to Premier Blaine Higgs and Minister of Service New Brunswick Mary Wilson today to highlight worsening housing conditions in the province. Representing tenants and low-income people in New Brunswick, the groups stated concern that rent increases are far outpacing median income, housing is becoming less affordable, and tenants have little to no protection from rent increases and evictions, a condition that risks increases in homelessness as the pandemic continues.
The groups call for an immediate 2% cap on rent increases and a moratorium on evictions until the province returns to the green phase. They additionally recommend the establishment of a rent bank, the rollout of a Canada-New Brunswick Housing Benefit under the National Housing Strategy, and a New Brunswick affordable housing commission.
Quotes:
“We now know that this pandemic exacerbates existing inequalities. In a province so profoundly impacted by socio-economic poverty, and where the social safety net is badly torn, there is an urgent need for housing security while we try to weather this storm.” Tobin Haley, Organizer, NB Coalition for Tenants Rights
“Access to affordable housing is important to the future of our province and our cities. By refusing to act, Premier Higgs is giving away affordable housing stock to large institutional investors. That will force working New Brunswickers to pay more of their hard earned money to investors from outside the province.” - Matthew Hayes, Organizer, NB Coalition for Tenants Rights
“Premier Higgs says he needs “to understand the facts” before considering rent control. The fact is that New Brunswickers are being forced out of their homes by out of control rent increases during a pandemic." - Angus Fletcher, Organizer, NB Coalition for Tenants Rights
Quick Facts:
36% of New Brunswick renter households are living in unaffordable housing.
Average tenant shelter costs increased by 14% between the last two censuses, with median tenant income lagging behind at 11%.
By contrast, homeowner shelter costs have increased only 9.9% with homeowner median income increasing by 13.8%.
Sudden and unregulated rent increases combined with a lack of eviction protection increase the risk of houselessness, felt most acutely by experiencing various forms of marginalization including discrimination on the basis of race, disability, gender, family status and income.