Progress is being made as the City of Saint John works to create an Affordable Housing Action Plan.
A needs assessment completed by SHS Consulting examined housing demand, supply and affordability.
In a presentation to the growth committee on Tuesday, Ken Foulds noted recent changes in the city’s population.
“That trend has reversed and there is a slight increase in population. We do note that growth is largely driven by both international and inter-provincial immigration,” Foulds said.
Councillor Brent Harris asked Foulds to confirm a statistic that said 70 per cent of Saint Johners can’t afford to qualify for a house.
Foulds cautioned the data presumes that if someone was going out to the marketplace now to try and access it with the income they had, it would be a challenge.
“Obviously people are housed where they are. They might be overpaying for where they are. 70 per cent would have difficulty accessing the market now,” Foulds said.
Mayor Donna Reardon said housing has, unfortunately, become a commodity.
“We have people making who are making millions of dollars off of renters. That is such a difficult situation. We are seeing the buildings in Saint John, especially ones that have a lower rate of rent being snapped up by these REIT companies that are then passing on the profits through their shareholders,” Reardon said.
Saint John residents can provide input that will help identify the actions needed to guide the community’s response to maintain and create safe, suitable, and affordable housing options for everyone.
Three town hall engagement sessions will be held virtually next week and members of the public are encouraged to take part.
- Wednesday, April 20th: 2 p.m. – 4 p.m.
- Thursday, April 21st: 7 p.m. – 9 p.m.
- Friday, April 22nd: 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Participants will need to register in advance by visiting www.shapeyourcitysaintjohn.ca and filling out the quick poll, or by sending an email to affordable@saintjohn.ca with your name and preferred meeting date.
