The New Brunswick government is planning to streamline its housing operations into a new Crown corporation. This will transfer program responsibility from three separate provincial departments into a new entity that will oversee the Residential Tenancies Tribunal, property management of the provincial social housing portfolio and development, implementation and evaluation of housing strategy.

“A bolstered New Brunswick Housing Corporation will give us the focus, resources and unified approach needed in helping to address our housing challenges,” maintains Jill Green, Minister of Service New Brunswick, who is currently responsible for housing.

Enabling legislation is to be introduced in New Brunswick’s legislative assembly this spring. As a Crown corporation, the new body will have a board of directors, executive leadership and personnel largely composed from staff that has been transferred from Service New Brunswick and the Departments of Social Development and Transportation and Infrastructure. New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs will also name a dedicated Minister of Housing.

“The new corporation will be focused on working with all levels of government, community groups, organizations and the private sector to identify and maximize development opportunities and ensure we are providing the necessary support through a housing strategy,” Green reports. “We are working diligently to finalize the details and hope to have more information to share during the housing summit in May.”