N.B. offers two months' rent through new bank program

Some New Brunswick renters who need extra cash to stay housed will be able to apply to the province’s new "Rent Bank" program, although the New Brunswick Coalition for Tenant Rights and HOME-RL say the initiative excludes certain people.

According to a Wednesday news release, applicants will be able to receive two months’ rent or $2,750 (whichever is less) through the two-year “Rent Bank” program. The grants can be used for rent, damage deposits, or essential utilities.

“This is a great step forward to help ease the housing crunch,” said Social Development Minister Jill Green in the release. “We listened to New Brunswickers who are having a hard time making ends meet, and we were able to make this a grant for those who need help now.”

People facing immediate eviction will be prioritized in the application process, according to the release. Eligible applicants include individuals or families without children who make less than $50,000, and families with children who make less than $85,000.

"We are pleased that the government listened to non-profit organizations and tenant advocates in choosing a grant rather than a loan model," said Tobin LeBlanc Haley, assistant professor of sociology at the University of New Brunswick, in the release.

In a separate news release, the New Brunswick Coalition for Tenant Rights, which has called for a "Rent Bank" since the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, said the program excludes tenants in marginalized housing, the undocumented, and tenants accessing some existing rental subsidy programs.

“Low barrier access is most important thing for a rent bank,” said researcher and NBCTR member Kristi Allain in the release. “The objective here is to keep people housed, presenting barriers to doing that is counterproductive to running a rent bank at all."

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