$13.3 million earmarked for 49 housing units in fast-growing Miramichi

The city of Miramichi will have 49 new and renovated housing units by the end of this summer, officials said Friday.

For the next 20 years, 33 of those units will receive rent supplement funding from the New Brunswick government.

This means that those tenants will pay no more than 30 per cent of their household income in rent while the difference is covered by the government, according to a provincial government news release.

Community partners and three levels of government are spending $13.3 million in three development projects.

Miramichi Mayor Adam Lordon said the city's population has grown in recent years, which is great news for the community.

"But we're really struggling to have the housing built that we need to keep pace, and in particular, in those affordable areas of the housing continuum," he said. "So today's announcement will really help."

The first of the three projects — a three-storey apartment building on Wellington Street — is expected to be completed next month and will include 21 units. It will include 10 affordable housing units and two accessible units, according to the release.

A 20-unit building on Water Street will have 15 units split between women and children escaping domestic violence and youth at risk of homelessness.

It will also have five market units, according to Blair Martin, president of Belleterre Community Partners, who are developing the building with Miramichi Housing Solutions Inc. and Miramichi Emergency Centre for Women Inc.

Martin said the building will be a third stage of housing for women escaping domestic violence in Miramichi.

It will be a place they go after going through the crisis centre and second stage housing, meaning temporary accommodations, which will also be built with help from the funding announced today.

"Once they're stabilized and can go into a traditional apartment setting, we're where they can go and they can be tenants there for 20 years if they want," Martin said.

Frieda's House to help women, children

The province is providing $1.78 million for 20 years of rental supplements for the 15 units in the Water Street development. Martin said the building will have four barrier-free units on the first floor, meaning units that are fully accessible.

The emergency centre for women is also developing a third project called Frieda's House, that will be built on Waterfront Drive. Frieda's House will be a second-stage housing development, according to Lordon, with eight units for women and children.

It will be the first second-stage housing facility in Miramichi, said Patricia Michaud, the centre's executive director.

"This will serve as an opportunity for the women and their children to have a safe place to stay for up to a year and a half," Michaud said. "And where we'll have a co-ordinator that will be doing programming and support. "

Michaud said they also plan to create a space in the building where women can give statements to police.

Frieda's House will also be covered by rental supplements and is expected to be done in June. The house's name honours Frieda Scott, a former board member of the centre who died in 2004.

Lordon said housing has been a priority of the municipal government in recent years. He's grateful to developers who are rolling up their sleeves to get these projects done.

"Governments need to be doing what they're doing. But our communities cannot access the funding and get the housing, if there are not developers willing to build it," he said.