January 31, 2023
New CMHC Data Underlines Need to Give Housing Minister a Real Job
FREDERICTON – Data released by the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation shows that average rental prices for a two-bedroom apartment have increased by 10.5% in Fredericton, 7% in Moncton, and 15% in Saint John. Green Party leader and MLA for Fredericton South David Coon says that the new data is yet another sign that government intervention is needed.
“The Premier created the position of Minister Housing without any staff or mandate to actually tackle the crisis in affordable housing. He should put Minister Green in charge of NB Housing, the Crown Corporation that was created by the NB Housing Act to ensure the staff and financing can be put in place to create a boom in co-operative and non-profit housing development,” said Coon. “All it takes now is the will of Premier Higgs to give the Minister of Housing the mandate, and the resources necessary to hire the staff to make it happen.”
In October, Premier Higgs made Jill Green the Minister of Housing; however, questioning in a legislative committee from Green critic for Service NB and Housing and MLA for Memramcook-Tantramar Megan Mitton revealed that Minister Green has not been given any additional staff or resources to solve the housing crisis.
“Minister Green is the Minister of Housing in title only, she doesn’t even have a real department!” exclaimed Mitton. “It’s time to take the affordable housing crisis seriously, and that means reinvigorating the NB Housing Corporation, to give Minister Green the staff and resources needed to jumpstart a boom in the construction of cooperative, non-profit and non-market housing across the province.”
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