Former deputy premier Robert Gauvin spoke at a rally in Sussex on Feb. 17, 2020. (Photo: Brad Perry)
The Liberal Opposition is pushing the Higgs government to act on housing and rent problems in the province.
Social Development Critic Robert Gauvin says the cost of rent is rapidly increasing, “Thirty to 40 per cent for an apartment, and you are not only going to touch people on a fixed income. You are going to touch people who make $15 or $16 an hour. They won’t be able to afford their apartments.”
He adds the Higgs government needs to invest in the creation of more affordable housing.
“I’ve talked to people and they received letters that their apartments, that were $450 to $500 a month, are going to be $700 a month at the start of January. This is a big leap for people who don’t have the means, who are on a fixed income.”
Gauvin says the nights are beginning to get very cold and there needs to be an investment to ensure all New Brunswickers have a roof over their heads for the winter.
“Up until now, this is a growing problem. It exploded in the last few years because New Brunswick is very aggressive on immigration. We realize that people can come here, they add to our workforce, but they have nowhere to stay,” Gauvin says.
In addition to investing in the creation of additional affordable housing, Gauvin is encouraging Premier Higgs and his Minister of Social Development Bruce Fitch to close the gap for fixed income earners.
“People living on a fixed income have no way of earning extra money to pay for these rent hikes and with the very low vacancy rates in the province, it’s extremely challenging to find a new space in their price range,” says Robert Gauvin. “We can’t abandon our citizens like this. Government needs to close the gap between what people on a fixed income are earning and what they need to pay their rent.”
