N.B.'s rent bank budget may run out sooner than planned

New Brunswick’s department of social development confirms they’ve received over 200 applicants for its three-day-old rent bank program.

The grant-based program allows people to apply for up to $2,750 if they find themselves in a situation where they may not be able to make rent that month.

The province has set aside $3 million for the rent bank, which is supposed to be available for two years.

Social Development Minister Jill Green announced the program on Dec. 7, saying it will be up and running by Dec. 13.

“My hope would be that nobody had to (use it), but I know the times that we're at in New Brunswick,” she said. “But we can't say exactly because we don't know what the need is for each individual person.”

Between Dec. 13 and Dec. 15, the department says over 200 people have applied for help.

If every single one of those applicants were approved for the maximum amount, that would be $550,000 — about 18 per cent of the budget.

'EXCLUSION CRITERIA'

And the eligibility criteria excludes several groups of people, something housing researcher Tobin LeBlanc Haley wants to see changed.

“What we're seeing with the exclusion criteria or the eligibility criteria of the New Brunswick Rent Bank is that tenants who are living in public housing, tenants who are accessing different kinds of subsidies, and people who are undocumented are not able to access the rent bank,” she said.

An apartment available to rent in Fredericton is pictured here.

LeBlanc Haley is a University of New Brunswick professor and a researcher through the Housing, Mobilization, Engagement and Resiliency Lab. She’s been studying rent banks in other jurisdictions across Canada, and while no program is perfect, she points to Manitoba’s as a success story.

She says she plans to bring her concerns to the department.

“If you're someone who's been couch surfing or you haven't had the opportunity to go to Service New Brunswick and update your driver's license, which does cost money, and at this time, people don't have a lot of money — that does create barriers,” she said. “And so we'd like to see those provisions removed. Maybe there are other ways that folks can show what their income is and give proof of their residence.”

The grants can be used for rent, utilities or a damage deposit and the province says those facing “immediate eviction will be prioritized.”

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