Building a community where everyone can afford a safe, comfortable home, and cost of living is manageable.
Last updated: March 6, 2026
Affordable living and safe housing are vital to the security and stability of individuals and families. Targeted initiatives addressing the rising cost of living and enhancing housing options will help us support communities in building inclusive and accessible housing for everyone.
In 2024 we added 6,169 housing units.
Our goal is to add 6,000 per year until 2028 for a total of 24,000 housing units.
Housing starts refers to the number of housing units that have reached the stage of construction where the foundation has been completed.
Housing starts include all types of residential buildings. For instance, one housing start could be a single detached home, while an apartment building with 10 units would count as 10 starts. This information is sourced from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation Housing Market Information Portal.
The current state as of December 2025 is 7,587 units.
Source: Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
Housing Market Information Portal
The baseline number of affordable starts from 2019-2023 averaged 59/year. Our goal is to reach a total of 1,760 units by 2028, with targets for 2025, 2026, and 2027 to meet that goal.
Affordable housing units were added through three Housing NB programs:
Any type of affordable residential housing unit can be counted under those three programs, including single detached houses and multi-unit buildings (like apartments).
Housing starts do not include institutional buildings such as hospitals, nursing homes, etc.
It’s important to note that affordable housing starts are included in the total housing starts figures.
The current state as of December 2025 is 343 units.
Source: Housing NB
Chronic homelessness is described as having spent a total of at least six months living in homelessness over the past year or having had recurrent episodes in the past three years. Recurrent episodes are defined as having spent at least a total of 18 months living in unsheltered places, emergency shelters, or temporarily with friends or family.
In 2024 we supported 1,050 individuals and, through our efforts to reduce homelessness, we aim to lower the number of individuals requiring support to 621 by 2028. The line graph illustrates our current state for 2025, and targets for 2026 and 2027 to help us meet our goal.
The number of individuals experiencing chronic homelessness is tracked by the Human Development Council.
The current state as of December 2025 is 996 individuals in the three urban cities.
Source: Human Development Council
Overhaul property tax to ensure stability and fairness.
On May 6, 2025, government introduced legislative amendments that freeze real property assessment values to help provide relief and predictability to New Brunswickers as work continues to overhaul the province’s property tax system.
Temporarily suspend the provincial sales tax (PST) on new multi-unit housing construction projects to promote the development of truly affordable housing as has already been done by other Atlantic provinces.
Work with companies to increase investments in made-in New Brunswick solutions like modular and offsite housing.
Stop the degradation of public housing and invest in both the renovation and creation of new public housing.
Thirty-two affordable housing units will soon be opening in uptown Saint John to help address the city’s housing crunch, thanks to investments from the federal, provincial and municipal governments.
Invest in long-term and sustainable core funding for transition homes and frontline domestic violence services, including women’s shelters and additional support services.
On July 28, 2025, the government announced an investment of $9.2 million in services to address gender-based violence.
Working with communities, we will support the construction of 30,000 new homes by 2030.
In 2025, 7,587 housing units were added across the province. See results for “increase housing starts” above.
Remove the provincial sales tax (PST) on electricity, providing 10 per cent relief from home energy bills.
On December 11, 2024, government announced eligible residential electricity customers will receive a 10% rebate on their monthly electricity usage beginning in January 2025. The amount of the rebate is equivalent to the provincial portion of the HST.
Remove the carbon adjuster levy, saving you around 4 cents a litre at the pumps.
The government is delivering on its commitment to remove the cost of carbon adjuster, effective December 1, 2025.
Implement a rent cap.
Legislative amendments to the rent cap were introduced on November 20, 2024. As of February 1, 2025, rent increases will be capped at 3% annually.
Provide wraparound services to those experiencing chronic homelessness, starting with housing, and support a community case management approach.
New affordable housing units to open soon in Fredericton
On September 16, 2025, government established a ministerial task force on homelessness, followed by the release of the provincial homelessness strategy on December 18.
Work directly with municipalities and community groups already grounded in a housing-first approach and support their expansion.
The government has approved $7.4 million in emergency funding to establish a conditional grant program for non-profit housing providers.
A 30-unit transitional housing project will soon offer people living rough in the Bathurst area a safe, secure place to live until they’re ready for more permanent housing.
