The Canada-New Brunswick Housing Benefit program has been expanded to reach more working families with employment incomes from $12,500 to $50,000.
The program, which was launched in June, was originally designed to offer a short-term benefit to families with employment income from $14,000 to $38,000.
In a news release from the government, it says with the changes to the program's criteria, more households will have access to the rental affordability benefit.
"If you've got someone who is employable living in a safe accommodation and just wants a change of scenery, they may not score as high as a single parent family who is living in an unsecure location,” said Bruce Fitch, New Brunswick's social development minister.
Over 6,000 New Brunswickers are on the wait list for housing assistance, which is fluid based on need.
"This pandemic has underscored and worsened the challenges faced by far too many Canadians. The hardest hit by this crisis are the most vulnerable,” said Jenica Atwin, MP for Fredericton.
Critics are concerned about the parameters to apply for support.
"It's no surprise that there hasn't been significant uptake for this program because of how many requirements there are to access the program. It is so targeted that the only thing more targeted is a Facebook ad,” said Aditya Rao, lawyer with NB Coalition for Tenants Rights.
Criteria that must be met by applicants includes:
- They live and work in New Brunswick.
- They must be a parent with primary custody of a child or children under 19 or of one or more dependents with a disability, 19 or older.
- They rent where they live.
- They do not receive a housing subsidy from the Department of Social Development.
- They are working and earn a minimum of $12,500 per year and a maximum of $50,000 before tax household employment income. Note: This is the combined before-tax employment income of all adults over 19 living in the home.
- Their income is reported to Canada Revenue Agency.
- They are the only person in the household applying for and receiving this benefit.
"It doesn't of course, address the supply problem of affordable housing and that's the biggest problem we've got is supply,” said David Coon, leader of New Brunswick's Green Party.
Government officials say the program aims to support about 6,700 households in the province over the next seven years – the length of the program.
The program will cost around $98.3 million, shared by the provincial and federal governments.
"New Brunswick was very late to the game in terms of accessing this bilateral agreement other provinces already did, in fact our neighbouring province Nova Scotia doesn't have requirements like this, NS doesn't require people trying to access their version of the same program to have dependents or to be working for that matter,” Rao said.
More program information and details on the application process can be found online.
