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Housing crisis in New Brunswick could get worse, with more people at risk, advocates warn

February 1, 2025

Rental costs increasing more than many New Brunswickers can afford. Jennifer Sweet · CBC News · Posted: Feb 01, 2025.

The New Brunswick Non-Profit Housing Association is issuing a call to action to all New Brunswickers for help solving the province’s housing crisis.

As of last month, there were about 1,500 homeless people in the province’s three largest cities, said Peter Corbyn, executive director of the group. “My concern is that’s just the tip of the iceberg,” he said. “As the cost of housing and rental goes up, more and more people will be at risk of losing where they live now.”

About 20 per cent of the population is in a precarious situation when it comes to housing, said Corbyn, based on census information that found one in five households could not afford more than $880 in rent. Average rents in the province now range from $1,000 to $1,400, and in many cases that doesn’t include utilities.

The association represents about 170 organizations around the province that operate about 6,500 non-profit and co-operative housing units. Corbyn said the sector needs to double in size in the next several years, from about 3.5 per cent of total housing stock toward 20 per cent.