'Significant deficiencies' with public housing sees units sit vacant, auditor general finds

The New Brunswick Housing Corporation does not have systems or practices in place to ensure its 4,630 public housing units are well maintained, safe and habitable for tenants, according to a new report by the auditor general.

Paul Martin found "significant deficiencies," including incomplete inspections, untimely repair work and inadequate budget monitoring.

"The demand for affordable, safe housing is increasing in New Brunswick. It is crucial for the well-being of residents that public housing units offered meet appropriate safety requirements and are made available to those in need on a timely basis," he wrote in the report released Tuesday.

But delays in inspections and repairs left units sitting vacant for an average 140 days, instead of the maximum 30 days stipulated by policy. This, despite a waiting list of 13,129 households during the review period from April 1, 2023, to Dec. 31, 2024.

Only four per cent of vacant units were ready for occupancy within the target 30 days, Martin said in the first volume of the 2025 performance audit.

Among some of his other key findings, 85 per cent of units did not meet annual interior inspection requirements, 71 per cent of repairs requiring completion within 24 hours were not completed on time, and 36 per cent of all repair work did not achieve the target time for completion.

In addition, the operational budget is not based on needs, and the budget was not available to spending approvers, making it impossible to monitor spending and to make resource allocation decisions, Martin said.

The New Brunswick Housing Corporation is the largest supplier of subsidized housing. The program is targeted at low-income individuals, many of whom would be considered vulnerable, Martin noted.

Some of his 16 recommendations include to improve inspection completion, vacancy turnaround times, and overall maintenance program effectiveness.

According to the report, the New Brunswick Housing Corporation agrees with all but one of the recommendations and has already completed some of them, with targeted implementation dates for the others ranging between this month and spring 2027.

The organization contends the best practice for exterior inspections is twice annually, rather than quarterly as recommended and required by policy.

"The policy will be reviewed for efficiency of current staffing levels and according to best practices," it said in its response.