Our Projects

The Types of Projects
We Work On 

The projects we work on are as diverse as the communities we serve. But every project contributes to the goal of improving long-term access to community housing across the province.

The majority of our projects fall into two broad categories:

  • development of community housing assets
  • municipal planning to guide future community housing development

Contact us to learn more about how we can help community housing providers and municipalities advance their plans for more community housing. 

About Community Housing

Community housing encompasses many parts of the housing continuum, from supportive housing to mixed-market developments. It can also take many forms, from single-family homes to multi-unit residences and apartment complexes.

Community housing serves people who, for many different reasons, cannot afford market rents. This could include:

  • people transitioning out of homelessness
  • people who need support to live independently
  • students
  • newcomers
  • low-to-moderate income households
  • people with disabilities
  • rural workers

…and more.

While community housing can look different from project to project, all community housing developments have one thing in common: their purpose is to provide housing security, not drive profit. Because rental rates are not determined by market forces, community housing is sometimes referred to as non-market housing.

Mixed-Market Housing Development

Mixed-market housing combines non-market (or community) housing and market housing in the same residential development. This development could be an apartment building, a housing co-operative, or a planned neighbourhood that includes a combination of housing types.

Mixed-market developments are becoming increasingly popular as a community housing strategy because of their financial and social benefits. The inclusion of market housing makes the development and operation of community housing units more financially sustainable.

The mixed-market approach also promotes social integration and reduces stigmas associated with high concentrations of non-market housing. And it allows people to stay in their neighbourhood and maintain critical support networks as they move up or down the housing continuum when their circumstances change.

We support mixed-market developments as an effective solution to New Brunswick’s ongoing housing crisis. If you would like to explore whether a mixed-market approach would be a good fit for your project, please reach out. We look forward to hearing from you!

Spotlight on Rural Workforce Housing

A lack of community housing in New Brunswick’s rural communities is a barrier to growth for rural employers and a barrier to opportunity for New Brunswickers.

In 2022, the Housing Hub launched an innovative Rural Workforce Housing Pilot program to increase access to affordable housing for workers in rural New Brunswick. Through the program, we are partnering with rural employers in four different regions of the province to develop a total of 100 homes to support rural workforce needs.

Offering safe, stable, and affordable community housing for rural workers makes it possible for these workers and their families to put down roots and get involved in the local community, supporting healthy population growth and enriching the local economy and culture.

Funding for the Pilot is winding down in 2026. However, we continue to explore other ways to support sectors of our economy where a shortage of community housing is hindering potential growth.

What Makes a Successful Project?

We ensure that every project we undertake is deliverable, financially sustainable, and aligned with our mission to expand the long-term availability of community housing in New Brunswick.

A successful project has four key ingredients:

Access to suitable land is critical to the success of any development project. Key considerations for land include zoning, cost, proximity to amenities, existing services (roads, electricity, etc.), and environmental conditions.

Acquiring land can be a long process. If you own the land you plan to build on, or have a letter of intent from the land owner giving you first refusal, then you have already crossed an important hurdle, and we will be able to advance your project more quickly.

Once you have land identified, we can help with things like zoning processes, determining the proximity of amenities, and confirming requirements for environmental assessments.

Before you dive into costing or design, you need a clear idea of who you want to serve and how you plan to do it. Don’t worry if you don’t have this all figured out when you reach out to us, but do be prepared to put some thought into it. Fleshing out your vision is an important first step in our feasibility process.

Be aware that how you define your target population could affect which funding programs you are eligible for.

Community housing projects rely heavily on government funding, but navigating the various funding programs can be overwhelming. We know the programs and other viable financing options, and we’ll help identify the best mix of funding and financing for your project. We’ll even take care of the applications for you!

Note that, while access to capital or equity is not required, it can help accelerate project development and may open up more opportunities for funding through lenders.

Capacity to manage the development and construction process is often one of the biggest barriers preventing organizations from advancing new community housing projects. We provide that capacity for you.

During the feasibility assessment phase, we will also make sure that you have the financial and operational capacity to manage the assets and help protect them as affordable in perpetuity once the project is complete.

Got questions about how we can help make your project a success? Check out our FAQs (coming soon) or contact us to discuss your project.