Moncton, N.B., Ottawa spend $6.7M for 46 new homes

The City of Moncton and the provincial and federal governments announced a cash boost of $6.7 million for rapid housing projects in the New Brunswick city on Friday.

According to a news release, the money will go towards the Rising Tide and Blossom House projects, which will create multiple homes and apartments for people experiencing homelessness in Moncton. Ginette Petipas Taylor, minister of veterans affairs, made the funding announcement in Moncton on Friday.

"I think we all recognize homelessness is a complex issue and we certainly have to have a multi-pronged approach to dealing with it," Taylor said. "This announcement is certainly a step in the right direction. We're going to be providing shelter to those that are most vulnerable, those that are homeless or at the risk of being homeless.

"We want to make sure that we're setting up our population for success, not just a room over their heads, but we want them to thrive. Is it going to solve everything? No, but I think we can feel with the energy in the room, we all want to work together to make sure that we can address this huge issue."

The Rising Tide project, which will receive $5.08 million, aims to build 40 homes for homeless people in Moncton. Tenants will be able to access case managers, peer support individuals, social workers, registered nurses, human services counsellors, and housing support coordinators.

"This project doesn't work without three levels of government," said Dale Hicks, president of Rising Tide Community Initiatives Inc. "Our plan with Rising Tide in 2024 is we hope by the end of the year...we can sit here and say we created a hundred units of housing, affordable housing for the most vulnerable in the community by the end of 2024, so we have to get busy."

The Blossom House will get $1.7 million to build a six-unit apartment building for women and children fleeing domestic violence. The structure will replace the one-unit building that was destroyed in a fire in September 2021.

"Having a safe place to live is essential for women who are trying to start over after experiencing domestic violence,” said Tammy Daigle, executive director of Crossroads for Women, in the release. “The loss of our previous building to a fire was devastating. This funding has allowed us to, quite literally, rise from the ashes and create a space that will help even more families begin again.”

Shawn Crossman, deputy mayor of Moncton, noted the challenge of finding places for people to live in the fastest growing city in the country.

"The number of people experiencing homelessness in our community now is greater than ever before," he said. "This is a housing crisis and a complex issue. We need an approach with multiple avenues to resolve it. This is not a simple problem with a simple solution." 

With files from CTV's Derek Haggett

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