It will be a chance for Saint John newcomers to gain connections and learn from experts in the housing industry.
On Saturday, the Saint John Newcomers Centre will host a housing expo at the Nick Nicolle Community Centre from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
It will be an informative session on accommodation and real estate needs in Saint John.
“The whole idea is that newcomers will have the capacity to learn their rights as tenants, and the rights as a home buyer, and what their responsibilities are,” said Mohamed Bagha, managing director of the Saint John Newcomers Centre.
Newcomers who attend will get the chance to make connections with several housing professionals, including property management groups, tenant advocacy groups, realtors, and rental advisors.
“There will be representatives from banks, mortgage brokers to provide information on how to obtain your first mortgage, there’s going to be rental management companies there as well, who will provide information about renting,” mentioned Bagha.
“As well, there will be legal advice, what it means to sign a contract, what is the responsibility of the landlord, the responsibility of the tenant, the responsibility of buying a home, and how to work with a realtor,” continued Bagha.
Bagha added the Newcomers Centre is planning another housing expo for next spring.
“In the Spring, when the weather gets nicer, we see an influx of people wanting to buy a house, or move into another space, as well, we also see an influx of newcomers arriving to the community, so we are planning another similar event in the spring.”
“One of the main things we want to accomplish is that we want to have a comprehensive approach to alleviate the frustrations for newcomers arriving to our community, and are surprised about how complicated the housing market can be,” added Bagha.