According to a Jan. 30 news release, Ottawa is giving $688,363 to New Brunswick’s Tenant Information Program in a bid to help bolster tenants’ access to justice in the Maritime province.
The new program will be delivered by the Public Legal Education and Information Service of New Brunswick (PLEIS NB), in partnership with the University of New Brunswick Legal Clinic and the New Brunswick Coalition for Tenants’ Rights.
With this, tenants across the province — including those in rural areas — “will have access to free legal advice and resources,” states the release.
Services will include phone-based summary legal advice, education material, pop-up clinics and workshops.
According to Statistics Canada, 26.2 per cent of New Brunswick residents were renters as of the 2021 Census. (This was less than the national number, which was 33.1 per cent.)
“These services are available to all tenants in New Brunswick, regardless of income,” states the release, noting renters “often face complex housing issues without affordable legal support.”
The program “will help tenants resolve problems early, reduce disputes, and promote housing stability” across New Brunswick.
“With this funding, PLEIS NB will expand access to legal support for renters across the province,” states the release. “The program will provide bilingual resources through LegalInfoNB.ca, offering tenants access to a lawyer by phone through the Legal Info Line for tenancy-related questions and deliver free workshops on tenants’ rights.”
It will also “organize pop-up legal clinics” in rural areas currently lacking adequate access to resources.
Sean Fraser, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada.
“We are funding free legal advice to all tenants across New Brunswick to better defend their rights,” said Fraser in a statement. “By supporting this new program, our federal government is making sure help is available everywhere in the province. This means thousands of New Brunswickers will now have somewhere to turn when facing challenges with their landlord or lease.”
An official with the PLEIS NB spoke of the frequency with which the organization receives questions from the public.
“We receive legal questions from New Brunswickers every day,” said executive director Michelle Thompson. “We know there's a need for more legal information and services for tenants, and we're excited to be bringing together legal experts and community partners to make that happen. This funding from Justice Canada is going to make a real difference for tenants in our province.”
The program is being supported through Justice Canada’s Tenant Protection Fund, of which $15 million has been earmarked for providing access to information and advice for renters across the country.
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