A report presented to Moncton City Council last night shows a need for more affordable housing.
Renters would have to earn a minimum of 34-thousand dollars a year to afford the average market rent of $758 dollars a month, as long as that includes utilities.
Minister of Families and Children Stephen Horsman came in person to hear the report.
“I was listening to what the Councillors had to say, it’s everybody’s responsibility, not just the federal government, and not just the provincial government, but municipalities have to take a part now, and they’re realizing it,” says Horsman. “As one of the Councillors said, they’re pushing it to the province and the federal government, and we can’t do that.”
With the majority of the 1,578 people on a waitlist for Greater Moncton being non-elderly singles, or seniors, the supply of family units is not matching demand.
Just over 41% of renters are spending more than 30% of their total income on housing costs, and almost 18% are spending more than half their income.
Horsman says they are working with stakeholders to create a provincial housing strategy.
“Moncton is getting, as they stated, more than other cities and territories in the province because of the population and because of the need, and we look at that, and that’s why people are here from New Brunswick Housing,” says Horsman. “They’re looking at that strategy, and they’ll take that information to see what we can do to work better together.”
Highlights from the report can be seen below.
