Southwest N.B. mayors want answers after second straight rejection by federal housing fund

Rhythm Rathi · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 22, 2025 3:12 PM EDT | Last Updated: 8 minutes ago

The mayors of Saint Andrews, St. Stephen and the Village of McAdam are writing to the national authorities hoping to larn wherefore they were denied by Canada's Housing Accelerator Fund — again.

Many municipalities from southwest New Brunswick tried tapping into the national cookware for housing. They weren't palmy and haven't been told why.

The applications were submitted successful 2 rounds. The past rejection was received a fewer weeks ago, leaving municipal leaders disappointed.

"It's truly frustrating to not person immoderate answers to wherefore erstwhile again southwest New Brunswick did not get the attraction from the national government," said Saint Andrews Mayor Brad Henderson.

Henderson said his municipality reduced the magnitude it asked for successful Round 2, but was inactive rejected.

After the archetypal rejection, Henderson contacted the lodging curate astatine the clip to scope retired to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation for immoderate feedback and assistance, helium said.

"We were met with nary assistance whatsoever," helium said.

He said cipher successful his portion has immoderate mentation astir the 2nd rejection either. 

"When you person a programme that ... isn't precise transparent, it does unfastened the doorway for speculation connected what the reasoning is, whether it beryllium political, whether it beryllium the information that we're municipality oregon I mean, agrarian versus urban," helium said.

He said determination was nary accidental to speech to idiosyncratic astir improving their exertion oregon sermon the region's challenges.

"It truly feels similar erstwhile it comes to lodging we person been connected our ain moving with backstage developers," helium said. "We request each 3 levels of authorities moving together."

No enactment from national Conservatives

In March 2024, New Brunswick Southwest MP John Williamson — a Conservative — said helium planned to bring up the substance with past Liberal Housing Minister Sean Fraser.  

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has promised to chopped the fund. In November, helium instructed Conservative MPs to halt advocating connected behalf of municipalities successful their ridings who privation to get funds through the $4-billion Housing Accelerator Fund.

CBC reached retired to Williamson's office, but helium declined to comment. 

'Don't humour america again'

Mayor Allan MacEachern of St. Stephen said his municipality is astatine a "critical stage" with insufficient housing. He said the deficiency of lodging is besides holding backmost the town's development. 

MacEachern said his unit worked intimately with the backing partners to marque definite the exertion had nary errors, yet it was rejected.

"If we are not going to get it, don't humour america again connected doing it each implicit again because it took a batch of clip connected a batch of people's work."

He said his assemblage was counting connected the money for aboriginal developments and present they request to set their plans.

MacEachern said nary national wealth from the programme could marque radical debar taking a occupation successful agrarian towns similar St. Stephen conscionable due to the fact that they can't find a spot to live.

'Highly competitive' valuation process

The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation confirmed successful an email that St. Stephen did not person backing successful 2023 oregon 2024. 

It said that Saint Andrews, Eastern Charlotte, Grand Manan and Campobello Island were besides deemed unsuccessful successful the 2nd round.

The enactment called the valuation process "highly competitive."

"As with the archetypal circular of HAF, request for the 2nd circular of HAF importantly exceeded the disposable fund and lone the astir ambitious applications were selected," said spokesperson David Harris.

Both Henderson and MacEachern said their communities volition support applying to the fund. Their associated missive besides included McAdam Mayor Ken Stannix.