New BrunswickThe Golden Terraces seniors housing co-op, with a waitlist of more than 300 people, might have had to close without the provincial funding announced Wednesday for upgrades, the manager says.Minister commits to more affordable housing to prevent seniors from ending up on the street.Victoria Walton · CBC News · Posted: Nov 12, 2025 4:21 PM EST | Last Updated: 3 hours agoListen to this articleEstimated 4 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by text-to-speech, a technology based on artificial intelligence.The Golden Terraces building at 43 High St. in Moncton received $600,000 earlier for new siding and windows but is getting that amount again to make the units more livable for seniors. (Victoria Walton / CBC)A 39-unit apartment building on High Street in Moncton is getting some much-needed upgrades.The Golden Terraces seniors housing co-op, built more than 30 years ago, first applied for funding from the New Brunswick Housing Corporation four years ago. “So we had leaky windows, we have problems with the roof, not enough heat in the building,” said building manager Sandra Agudello.Today, with residents ranging from their early 60s up to 100 years old, Agudello said, upgrades for accessible bathrooms and a new elevator are also needed.Sandra Agudello says that without the money from government, the building would probably have to close. (Victoria Walton/CBC)Some financial help arrived in 2022-23, and Housing Minister David Hickey announced more on Wednesday, to bring the total to $1.2 million.“We cannot lose more affordable units,” Hickey said.He said the upgrades will allow residents “a lot more dignity” and also help extend the lifespan of the buildings.More money neededThe first allocation of funds was mainly used to repair the exterior of the building — new windows and new siding, for example.Agudello said the additional money announced on Wednesday, $600,000, will help with bathroom upgrades and things such as mini-splits and air-conditioning units. The process to get the funding was complicated, Algudello said.“The application is not friendly, and then through COVID, we had many setbacks with the contractors and getting things,” she said. “So it’s been, it’s been a long, long, long process.”WATCH | 300 people on waitlist for this affordable seniors housing building:Moncton housing complex for seniors gets money for upgrades after long waitResidents and New Brunswick housing minister agree that more projects like this need to be financed to prevent seniors from ending up on the street. Hickey acknowledged more help is needed for complexes like Golden Terraces to prevent seniors and other New Brunswickers from ending up without a home.“We need to make sure that seniors have that stability and that dignity of housing, especially in situations where homelessness is becoming more and more the only option for seniors in Moncton and in New Brunswick.”Hickey said the province plans to announce more projects in the coming weeks as part of its housing taskforce, both in Moncton and other parts of the province.“There’s a couple of projects that we have targeted for Moncton and hope to be able to make those announcements in the next month or so.”Nowhere else to goThe rent for the units at Golden Terraces ranges from $625 to $725, depending on the size. Residents like Julia Sheehan wouldn’t be able to afford anywhere else.“If I would have to pay $1,500 for one bedroom, I wouldn’t be able to,” Sheehan said.Sheehan said she has children and family, but if she were to lose this unit, she doesn’t know what she would do.“I really don’t know. I’m at the last step, I think.”Julia Sheehan has been living Golden Terraces building for over a year and said she doesn’t know where she’d go if she had to leave. (Victoria Walton/CBC)Sheehan also sees the need in her community for more housing, especially affordable housing for people like her.“There’s too many people on the street. It’s too hard.”Without the provincial support, Agudello said, the building would likely have had to close down. And it wouldn’t just be the current residents who are affected but future ones too.“We have a waiting list right now, for this building, of 300 people,” she said.Hickey said he realizes the situation is dire, and the government is committed to making “record investments” on the affordable housing crisis.“In particular in Moncton, where just this past month we’ve got over 500 people on the street,” he said.“We need to make sure that we’re protecting the investments that have already been made that have fallen through the cracks over three decades or more of consistent neglect and underfunding.”
Money for upgrades at Moncton seniors building arrives just in time, manager says
