46 units of affordable housing to be built in Moncton

Dale Hicks hopes he can have affordable housing units ready by the end of the month, thanks in part to new funding from the federal government. 

Ottawa announced on Friday that it would be providing over $6.7 million for Rapid Housing Initiative projects in Moncton. That money will go to projects with the non-profits Rising Tide and Crossroads for Women.

"It's kind of emotional actually, even talking about it," said Hicks, president of the housing non-profit Rising Tide.

"When you bring the individuals in and show them their apartments to sign their lease … they walk in and they kind of go, 'This is going to be where I get this stay now? The look on their faces, they can't believe it."

The Crossroads for Women project will have $780,000 from the National Housing Strategy, $420,000 from the province and $200,000 from the city, along with some of the non-profit's own money. 

"Having a safe place to live is essential for women who are trying to start over after experiencing domestic violence," Tammy Daigle, executive director for Crossroads for Women, said in a statement on Friday.

Rising Tide will build five two-storey apartment buildings with eight units each for homeless people in Moncton. Crossroads for Women will create a six-unit apartment building for women and children fleeing domestic violence. 

Rising Tide will have about $5 million for its project. About $3.1 million is from the federal government's national housing strategy, while it receives another $1.6 million from the provincial government, as well as funding from the City of Moncton.

"Everyone deserves a safe and affordable place to call home," Housing Minister Sean Fraser said in a press release. "Through the Rapid Housing Initiative, we are quickly building affordable homes for people who need them the most, right across the country.

"We know there is a lot more to do and we will continue working hard to end this crisis once and for all."

Larger initiative 

Hicks said Rising Tide already had access to the funding, and has been able to start development on the units. He expects some of the apartments to be ready by the end of the month, while the rest should be ready by the spring. 

Hicks said the units aren't large, but they are a big step up for a lot of people.

"When you're coming from a shelter or coming from a tent and you walk into a 400 square foot unit that has its own bedroom, its own bathroom, its own kitchen set up, and that's your apartment, that's a pretty big step up from being in a shelter with 50 or 60 or 70 people," he said.

Hicks said Rising Tide's project is part of a larger commitment from the organization to build 153 units of affordable housing. 

Rising Tide was created in 2020 with the goal of getting people in Moncton affordable places to live. 

More work to do

Hicks said the challenge is there are now more homeless people in the city than when the organization started. 

According to the Human Development Council in Saint John, there were 387 people experiencing homelessness in 2023. It counted 215 in 2021.

Hicks also said that once the 153 units are done, the non-profit wants to get beyond supporting people who need housing, and create some units for people who need more space. 

He said this would be for people who are feeling stable, and want to get a bigger apartment, but have nowhere to go, or for people who are being priced out of where they currently live.