Skip to content
< Back

Affordability

A Place to Call Home

Our province is experiencing record population growth, and the Higgs Conservatives do not have a plan to address this opportunity. Homeowners and tenants are dealing with record increases in property taxes and rents while record numbers of people are experiencing homelessness.

Working with communities, we will support the construction of 30,000 new homes in New Brunswick by 2030. 

affordability

A Holt Government will:

  • Immediately introduce a rent cap as part of a comprehensive update of the Residential Tenancies Act. 
  • Overhaul property tax to ensure stability and fairness. 
  • Work with companies to increase investments in made-in New Brunswick solutions like modular and offsite housing.  
  • Model a Community Housing Retention and Expansion Pilot to fund housing in the non-profit and community sectors that support capacity building pre-construction costs, and acquisition.
  • Stop the degradation of public housing and invest in both the renovation and creation of new public housing. 
  • Invest in long-term and sustainable core funding for transition homes and frontline domestic violence services, including women’s shelters and additional support services. 
  • Provide funding for safety and accessibility retrofits for New Brunswick seniors and people with disabilities who wish to stay in their homes. 

Affording the Basics

The cost of living is rising, and New Brunswickers don’t feel like the Higgs Conservatives understand that. New Brunswick continues to have the highest rate of inflation in the country and the Higgs government has failed to help New Brunswickers who need help now. 

A Holt Government will:

  • Immediately remove the provincial sales tax (PST) on electricity, providing 10% relief from home energy bills. 
  • Immediately remove the Higgs Gas Tax, saving you around 4 cents a litre at the pumps.  
  • Immediately implement a rent cap (see housing). 
  • Ensure your children have breakfast and lunch at school (see Education).

Housing First

A record number of New Brunswickers are experiencing homelessness. As this number continues to grow, it’s clear that people are being left behind without access to housing and other necessary support.

A Holt Government will:

  • Provide wraparound services to those experiencing chronic homelessness, starting with housing, and support a community case management approach.  
  • Work directly with municipalities and community groups already grounded in a housing-first approach and support their expansion. 

Income Support

With major increases in the cost of living, outdated models for offering New Brunswickers the help they need are no longer working. Everyone deserves a fair shot.

A Holt Government will:

  • Explore a plan for a basic income for New Brunswickers living with disabilities. 
  • Increase the capacity of New Brunswickers receiving social assistance to participate in the workforce without financial penalty or loss of benefits. 
  • Increase social assistance rates given the rising cost of food and housing, while ensuring regulations are not penalizing recipients.