Housing Priorities on Track in New Brunswick, but More Work to do: Hickey

February 6, 2026

Efforts to support the creation of new affordable housing and reduce chronic homelessness are on track, but there is still lots of work to do, according to David Hickey, the minister responsible for the New Brunswick Housing Corporation.

New data indicates progress has been made on three key government priorities related to housing, specifically its efforts to build 30,000 new homes, increase affordable housing starts by 1,760, and reduce chronic homelessness by 40 per cent, all by 2028.

“We’re currently on track to reach those goals, thanks to a renewed focus from our government to tackle the housing crisis facing our province,” said Hickey, who also chairs the ministerial task force on homelessness.

The government’s target of at least 6,000 new housing starts last year was exceeded when New Brunswick set an all-time record of 7,587. That beat the previous provincial record of 7,235 housing starts set in 1973, and was an increase from the 6,169 starts in 2024.

There were 343 affordable housing starts in 2025, surpassing the government’s goal of 320, and up from an average of 60 per year between 2019 and 2024. These new affordable housing starts are comprised of the construction of new public housing units, as well as new properties built through the Affordable Rental Housing Program.

Data from the Human Development Council also indicates progress on reducing the number of chronically homeless people in the province’s three largest urban centres last year. The number of chronically homeless in Fredericton, Moncton and Saint John was 996, and the government’s goal was to hold the number to under 1,050. The current figure represents a reduction of just over five per cent.

“We know that we have to keep this momentum going, and there are still significant housing issues to solve,” said Hickey. “But the data shows we’re on the right track.”

Information outlining the progress on these housing and affordability measures, and other government priorities, is available online.

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