New Brunswick commits to build 193 more public housing units, bringing total to 573 units.

The New Brunswick government has completed 16 new public housing units in Moncton, a city with a 3,500-person waitlist for affordable housing. The province plans to build 193 more units than the previous government, bringing the total to 573. The waitlist for affordable housing in New Brunswick is about 13,000 people, with nearly 3,900 public housing units available.

The New Brunswick government has marked the completion of 16 new public housing units in Moncton, a city where approximately 3,500 people are on the province's waiting list for affordable housing [1]. This development comes as part of a broader initiative to address the housing crisis in the province.

The new units are part of five eight-unit buildings constructed by Rising Tide Community Initiatives. The work began under the Progressive Conservative government of Blaine Higgs. The Higgs government had committed to building 380 units of new public housing across the province. As of last month, there were 106 units completed, with 127 under construction [1].

The Liberal government, elected last fall, aims to build 193 more units than the PCs planned, bringing the total of new units to 573. The current waitlist for affordable housing in New Brunswick is about 13,000 people, with nearly 3,900 public housing units available [1].

David Hickey, the minister responsible for the New Brunswick Housing Corp., stated that the Liberal government has significantly ramped up the commitment to public housing. "We've ramped up the commitment significantly from the previous government in a commitment of building more public housing," Hickey said [1].

The completion of the 16 units in Moncton is part of a broader effort to tackle homelessness in the province. A new report from the Human Development Council found that homelessness numbers in New Brunswick’s three largest cities have tripled over the past four years, with 1,529 people experiencing homelessness in March 2025 compared to just under 500 in March 2021 [2]. The report attributes this increase to a perfect storm of factors including housing affordability, low wages, and health care issues.

The new public housing units in Moncton will provide much-needed relief to those on the waitlist. The John Howard Society of Southeastern New Brunswick will provide daily support services to residents, including financial literacy, education, and employment support, mental health and addictions services, and help with independent living skills [1].

The completion of these units is a step forward in addressing the housing crisis in New Brunswick, but it is clear that more needs to be done to meet the growing demand for affordable housing in the province.

References:
[1] https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/moncton-public-housing-units-completion-1.7599607
[2] https://www.919thebend.ca/2025/07/30/homelessness-numbers-triple-in-n-b-cities-report/