Even a small town in the Maritimes is experiencing a housing shortage

The country's housing crisis has reached tiny Tignish, with a population of 800

Even a small town in the Maritimes is experiencing a housing shortage
Duffie Osental

It seems that Canada’s housing crisis has reached the small Prince Edward Island town of Tignish.

The town, with a population just north of 800, is currently experiencing a housing shortage, according to a report from PEICanada.com – and Mayor Allan McInnis said that could be a problem as 40 to 60 newcomers, mostly fish plant workers, are expected to arrive in the spring.

Read more: PEI's residential assets are becoming even more valuable

“There is a great need for housing up here and it doesn’t seem contractors are building in our area as much as I would like to see,” McInnis stated. “I don’t know actually where we are going to put them.”

McInnis said that he is hoping to meet with contractors to find out if the area is suitable for new housing and what the newcomers are looking for.

“We want contractors to build spec, probably build around $100,000 homes, which is what newcomers can afford right now,” McInnis added, noting that the town council is looking to use community land for new homes. “It’s coming to a crunch. We need housing.”

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