Report confirms that Southwestern NB in “housing crisis”

The Southwest New Brunswick Region includes most of Charlotte County and parts of York County. The region contains the municipalities of St. Stephen, Saint Andrews, St. George, Blacks Harbour, Grand Manan, Campobello, Harvey, and McAdam.

One of the greatest issues in many of the municipalities is a lack of quality and affordable rental housing. Not only does this cause issues for existing residents, it means that many of the otherwise thriving local businesses and industries struggle to attract and retain employees.

To address this growing issue, a working group was formed to research, strategize, and offer support to stakeholders so that more appropriate housing can be developed. The working group is made up of representatives from Horizon Health Community Development, Vibrant Communities Charlotte County, and the Harvey Area Housing Working Group with project management support from the Southwest New Brunswick Service Commission.

After months of research, including a survey sent to landlords and renters in the region, a 91 page report was released. The report highlights some troubling aspects of the state of housing in Charlotte County. Including data which shows that the largest municipality, St. Stephen, has a vacancy rate of 0.3 per cent. The aggregate vacancy rate for the entire region is just under one per cent, well below the provincial average of 2.6 per cent. According to Xander Gopen, a planner with the service commission, the study was completed both to raise awareness of what he terms a “housing crisis”, as well as provide crucial market data to developers. He argues that without intervention the lack of housing in Charlotte County will drastically hinder economic growth.