N.B. news: Groups pen letter about housing problem

Three Chambers of Commerce in New Brunswick recently sent a letter to Premier Blaine Higgs asking him to help the province build more housing units to keep up with the growing demand.

Morgan Peters, CEO of the Fredericton Chamber of Commerce, said he hears concerns over housing from members on a daily basis.

“In our communities, and really across the country, it’s no secret housing availability is a big issue,” Peters told CTV News Atlantic’s Todd Battis in an interview Wednesday. “It was our hope there would be some actions taken in the provincial budget. From a competitiveness perspective, we’re concerned we’re falling behind other provinces.

“Overall our message is for the government to create those conditions to encourage more development in New Brunswick.”

Peters said his Chamber of Commerce has made numerous suggestions to the premier regarding housing over the last year. He noted how the federal government suspended the GST on new rental units, prompting the Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador governments to follow suit.

“When you talk to New Brunswick their response is a concern for a hit on the bottom line for provincial revenues in the realm of $170-to-$190 million,” Peters said. “That is a large amount of money, but that essentially means that’s the burden that’s being placed on developers and development in New Brunswick instead of the government.

“Developers have a choice of where to put their money. If they’re looking where to put their rental units, New Brunswick becomes less attractive.”

Peters said the province has seen substantial growth in the last five years and he thinks an increase in homes could help that trend continue to track upward.

“We’re really fearful we’re going to move backwards on that and not retain the gains we’ve made,” he said.

Peters said while housing continues to be a national problem, it’s also one with real consequences in New Brunswick’s backyard.

“It affects every other issue we deal with,” he said. “Nothing in the letter is new. We’re hoping coming together with a collective voice is going to amplify that message.”

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