Moncton ACORN does outreach right!

A report from NB ACORN Co-Chair Peter Jongeneelen:

As a key part of New Brunswick ACORN’s work, we focus on community outreach. We regularly meet with low- and moderate-income tenants throughout the year to provide education and support.

In the first week of January 2025, NB ACORN members connected with low- and moderate-income individuals in Moncton. Through these conversations, we continue to find that many tenants are unaware of housing regulations and their legal rights. This leaves them vulnerable, and they often fear eviction.

As of February 1st, 2025, New Brunswick will implement permanent rent control at 3%—a hard-fought victory for low- and moderate-income tenants.

While this is a major win, it’s crucial that tenants understand their rights and remain vigilant—especially against attempts by some highly financialized landlords to bypass the rules in order to raise rents for new tenants.

We’ve seen this behavior before: during the temporary 2022 rent cap, some landlords found ways to push tenants out. Even though NB ACORN fought for changes to renoviction rules and The Residential Tenancies Act in the summer of 2023, more action is needed to better protect tenants from unjust evictions.

This is why NB ACORN’s “Do Rent Control Right” campaign is so important. With the new Liberal government promising a full review of the Residential Tenancies Act, now is the perfect time to ensure that rent control loopholes are closed. Learn more about the campaign here.

Ultimately, this is about creating a more balanced system that protects everyone—and ensuring tenants are fully aware of their legal rights.

Another topic that came up at the food bank was the need for tenants to take charge of their housing situation. To support this, New Brunswick ACORN is hosting an online Tenant Rights Workshop, and we invite you to join us:

• When: Thursday, January 30th at 6:30pm
• Where: Online via Zoom (please register to confirm your attendance)

Key topics to be discussed at the workshop include:

1. What to do when facing a wrongful eviction
2. How to handle rent increases
3. Understanding your lease and the legal responsibilities of both tenants and landlords
4. How to connect with community legal resources

Protect your home. Know your rights. Make change happen with ACORN.

Join us for “Groundwork for Justice: Tenant Advocacy with ACORN.”