The Government of Canada and New Brunswick invest in housing enabling infrastructure
MONCTON, NB, March 3, 2025 /CNW/ - The governments of Canada and New Brunswick have finalized a 10-year agreement under the Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund (CHIF).
Through this agreement, communities across New Brunswick will be able to build or improve the critical infrastructure related to drinking water, wastewater, stormwater, and solid waste – that will in turn help them build more homes. New Brunswick will receive $150.5 million to address their housing-enabling infrastructure priorities.
Under the CHIF, more than $5 billion is available over 10 years to support long-term infrastructure priorities that will directly enable new housing supply. This funding will provide the critical infrastructure necessary to enable more homes or increase densification, provide the drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater systems required to support community growth, preserve existing capacity or increase reliability and access to drinking water, or implement waste diversion initiatives to reduce landfill use.
The CHIF agreement adds to existing federal and provincial investments in infrastructure providing services to communities across New Brunswick. Through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program, both levels of government are also investing more than $30 million in three separate projects to build or upgrade water and wastewater infrastructure including the Fundy-St. Martins Wastewater Collection and Treatment System, the Riverview Infrastructure Renewal project, and the Strait Shores New Municipal Well and Related Infrastructure project.
By working together to invest in drinking water, wastewater, stormwater, and solid waste projects across New Brunswick, we are helping to ensure that New Brunswick communities have the capacity to support housing projects that meet the demands of a growing population.
Quotes
"To build the homes that growing communities like ours need, we must invest in the essential infrastructure that lies beneath the surface: from drinking water to storm systems. Through today's ten-year agreement with the province, we'll be able to build homes faster, delivering benefits to communities across New Brunswick."
The Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, President of the Treasury Board and Member of Parliament for Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe
"The province is pleased to have this funding agreement finalized because it will place us in an even better position to leverage federal funding and accelerate building more homes, faster, for New Brunswick residents," said David Hickey, minister responsible for the New Brunswick Housing Corporation. "This fund aligns directly with the Regional Development Corporation's existing Preconstruction and Infrastructure Fund. We need programs in place that support all three stages of housing development – preconstruction, the underground infrastructure, and actual housing construction – to meet our targets."
The Honourable David Hickey, Minister responsible for the New Brunswick Housing Corporation
Associated Product
Backgrounder: The Government of Canada and New Brunswick invest in housing enabling infrastructure
Quick facts
Investing in Canada Program
- The federal government is investing $18,824,800 through the Rural and Northern Infrastructure Stream (RNIS) of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP) to support three wastewater and drinking water projects across New Brunswick. The Government of New Brunswick is contributing $11,233,210 million, and municipal governments are providing $3,644,990 for their respective projects.
- Under the Investing in Canada Plan, the federal government is investing more than $180 billion over 12 years in public transit projects, green infrastructure, social infrastructure, trade and transportation routes, and Canada's rural and northern communities.
- Since 2015, the Government of Canada has contributed just under $1.2 billion in federally approved funding through 508 infrastructure projects throughout New Brunswick.
- The funding announced today builds on the federal government's work through the Atlantic Growth Strategy to create well-paying jobs and strengthen local economies.
Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund
- On April 12, 2024, the federal government released its ambitious housing plan, Solving the housing crisis: Canada's Housing Plan, supported by new investments from Budget 2024. The plan acknowledges the diverse needs of Canadians and centres around these three pillars:
- Building more homes.
- Making it easier to own or rent a home.
- Helping Canadians who can't afford a home.
- Part of Budget 2024, and Canada's Housing Plan, CHIF will invest more than $5 billion over 10 years for the construction and upgrading of core public infrastructure that will enable housing growth and densification in communities across Canada.
- The CHIF program is delivered through two funding streams:
- the Direct-Delivery Stream which will deliver up to $1 billion over eight years directly to eligible recipients, such as municipalities and Indigenous communities; and
- the Provincial and Territorial Agreement Stream which will provide more than $5 billion over 10 years to the provinces and territories to administer and deliver funding to their communities.
- On September 13, 2024, the Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada initiated discussions with provinces and territories to reach agreements on the $5 billion Provincial and Territorial Agreement Stream of the CHIF.
- Provinces and territories must finalize an agreement and commit to key housing-enabling conditions to receive funding.
- Through the direct delivery stream of CHIF, $1 billion will be provided to support pressing infrastructure projects in municipalities. The intake launched on November 7, 2024, and applications will be accepted until March 31, 2025 for communities of all sizes across Canada, and until May 19, 2025, for Indigenous applicants. Municipalities and Indigenous communities can learn more or apply online.
Associated Links
Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund
Solving the Housing Crisis: Canada's Housing Plan
Growing communities and building more homes, faster
Investing in Canada: Canada's Long-Term Infrastructure Plan
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SOURCE Department of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities