Photo by Matthew Hayes.
A Human Rights-Based Approach to Housing
A human rights-based approach to housing recognizes that access to safe, secure, and affordable housing is a fundamental human right.
Housing First
‘Housing First’ is an approach to ending homelessness that operates from a human rights-based lens. This recovery-oriented approach focuses on providing stable housing first, followed by additional supports and services such as physical and mental health, education, employment, substance abuse and community connections. Unlike other approaches, which involve placing individuals experiencing homelessness in shelters to tackle personal issues before they can access housing, Housing First is rooted in the belief that adequate housing is a fundamental human right and can be the first step in recovery.
Information on Housing First can be found here:
https://www.homelesshub.ca/solutions/housing-accommodation-and-supports/housing-first
https://endhomelessness.org/resource/housing-first/
https://www.frederictonhousingfirstservices.ca/
https://www.homelesshub.ca/HF4Y
https://www.homelesshub.ca/solutions/housing-first/housing-first-youth
Percentage of Persons in Core Housing Need in Canada and New Brunswick (2018 and 2021)
If we consider housing as a fundamental human right, core housing need should not exist because every individual should have access to safe, adequate, and affordable housing without facing any form of deprivation or insecurity.
This graph shows the percentage of total New Brunswickers by tenure living in core housing need in 2018 and 2021 compared to the percentage of Canadians living in core housing need at a national level.
The CMHC deems a household to be in core housing need when it satisfies the following two criteria: Firstly, the household falls short of one or more of the adequacy, suitability, and affordability standards. Secondly, the household would need to allocate 30% or more of its pre-tax household income to secure local housing that meets all three standards (CMHC 2019).
4.8% of New Brunswickers were living in core housing need in 2018, which is 3.7% less than Canadians as a whole in 2018. By 2021, the provincial average of persons living in core housing need dropped 1% to 3.8% and the national average dropped 1.3% to 7.2%.
Racialized Groups Living in Core Housing Need in Canada, by Group
This graph from Statistics Canada compares the percentage of racialized groups living in core housing need in Canada in 2016 to 2021.
Between these years, the percentage of total racialized population living in core housing need dropped 6.5%, from 17.8% in 2016 to 11.3% in 2021. The graph displays a decrease in the percentage of persons living in core housing need in all racialized groups examined.
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The largest decrease was shown by West Asian populations, who saw an 11.3% drop in core housing need. The smallest decrease was seen by Japanese populations, who saw only a 1.3% decrease.
Dwelling Conditions in New Brunswick (2021)
The graph to the left depicts dwelling conditions in 2021 for indigenous identifying individuals living in New Brunswick.
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16,325 indigenous individuals required regular maintenance. Statistics Canada describes this to be dwellings where only regular maintenance such as painting or furnace cleaning is required.
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11,075 indigenous individuals required minor repairs. According to Statistics Canada, this includes dwellings with missing or loose floor tiles, bricks or shingles or defective steps, railing or siding.
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5,895 indigenous individuals required major repairs, which includes dwellings with defective plumbing or electrical wiring and dwellings needing structural repairs to walls, floors or ceilings.
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Public Consultation
The HOME-RL Lab organized a 'World Café' celebration on National Housing Day as part of a public consultation initiative. The event, held on November 22nd, was funded by the City of Saint John and the UNB research fund. Although the representation was predominantly from Saint John residents, non-profits, student groups, housing providers, government officials, and individuals with lived experience from all across the province were in attendance. A report detailing the outcomes of this event will be released by the HOME-RL Lab in August. Currently, no information about this consultation is available.
In May 2023, Jill Green, the Minister responsible for Housing in New Brunswick, organized her own version of a public consultation event. However, it has been criticized as a flawed example of public consultation, being described as "privileged people discussing housing for the 'poor folks'." The event aimed to develop solutions for the kind of individuals who were not actually present.
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In January 2021, Premier Blaine Higgs instructed Cheryl Hansen, the Clerk of the Executive Council Office and head of public service, to conduct an online public survey as a form of public engagement. The purpose was to evaluate the rental landscape in New Brunswick. The report resulting from this survey was made available to the public in May 2021 and can be accessed here.
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A GNB News Release on the review of the rental housing landscape in New Brunswick stated, "The Report concluded that, when looking at broader trends in the market, supply is increasing, housing remains relatively affordable when compared to other provinces, and the level of need has improved." However, Dr. Julia Woodhall-Melnik, a housing researcher and founder of the HOME-RL Lab, argues that this report fails to acknowledge the existence of a housing crisis.
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At the municipal level, the housing strategy in Saint John has employed consultation techniques. The municipality has collaborated with community developers to engage with priority neighborhoods in Saint John. Additionally, an online survey has been utilized for broader consultation purposes. Unfortunately, information regarding these specific forms of consultation could not be found. It is recommended that future HousingNB researchers investigate these aspects.
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Data sets used here have been derived from demographic data from Statistics Canada and can be used to highlight disparities and inequalities in housing access and outcomes.
The collected demographic data reveals important trends. Firstly, it shows that a higher percentage of total residential property owners are men, although the difference is not significant.
Furthermore, the data indicates that the median age of property owners in New Brunswick falls within the 55 to 60 years old range.
Lastly, the median income range of residential property owners in New Brunswick falling between 40,000 and 50,000$ highlights the potential income disparities among property owners.
The National Housing Council
The National Housing Council (NHC) is an advisory body that was created to advise the federal government on national housing policies and strategies, including on the effectiveness of the National Housing Strategy. The National Housing Strategy Act outlines the need for a diverse National Housing Council.
New Brunswick's Representation on the NHC
Tim Ross is the former Executive Director of the New Brunswick Non-Profit Housing Association, and he previously led the Community Action Group on Homelessness in Fredericton. He has since then moved to Ottawa where he currently holds the position of Executive Director of the Co-operative Housing Federation (CHF) of Canada.
Though he does not currently reside in New Brunswick, he was considered to represent New Brunswick when determining the geographic representation on the National Housing Council.
This visual shows the geographical representation on the National Housing Council. The NHC consists of 16 council members and as shown in red, New Brunswick has one representative out of all of them.
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The graph here shows that 4/16 (25%) council members are from Ontario and 6/16 (37.5%) from Quebec. It is important to note that there is currently no representation at all on the council for NFL, PEI, MB, NT, YK.
Image taken from the National Housing Council Member Page