Charity unveils first tiny home for veterans facing homelessness
Kingston 'village' will assist 250 veterans with housing and support
A charity building a tiny home community for veterans facing homelessness in Kingston installed its first home late last week.
The project is meant to help veterans who are living unhoused or facing crisis as they return to civilian life.
The small "village" on King Street West will have 20 modular homes, each with a living room, bedroom, kitchen and bathroom. On-site social workers and peer-to-peer programs will provide assistance and a network of social supports.
"It's wonderful to see it coming together," said Mark Hutchings, the Chair of Homes for Heroes Kingston Committee.
"There's been an awful lot of folks who pitched in and really helped out to make sure that this goes smoothly," he told CBC's All in a Day on Tuesday.
He has an exhaustive list of volunteers and donors to thank, as the project is on budget, and expected to be done by Christmas.
"It's an accomplishment done in record time," he said
Transitional housing, intentional community
The units are joined in fours and designed to match the style of the historic Sydenham Ward in Kingston, with classic big bow windows at the front of each unit.
"We have a beautiful site in a park-like setting not too far from downtown," he said. "The bus even stops at the door of our facility."
The Ontario government donated the land for the village, valued at $1.5 million, and the project required over $6 million to build the units.
Community fundraising, corporate sponsors and Kingston-area philanthropic foundations have all raised funds for the project. Gravel, electrical fittings, furniture and lumber have all been given by corporations in kind.
"We've been very fortunate to get lots of support," he said.
Heroes in need of help
The tenants will have access to a wide network of supports and a small stipend while they start the rehabilitation process.
"We basically interview applicants to become occupants of these homes. They have to be highly motivated to be selected."
Once accepted into the program, they will have assistance in finding a job, and be expected to pay $600 in rent.
"While they're currently homeless, they're already qualified in many cases for programs and funding that they're not even aware of," Hutchings said. "Some of these veterans already have trades like aero engine tech or airframe technician."
Homes for Heroes will help them fill out applications to get enough money back from various social programs from all levels of government so they can pay their rent.
Residency in the village will be temporary, with the goal of having each veteran leave the village and re-enter mainstream society employed, stable and self-sufficient.
"This process can take several years or several months, the key is we do not want to rush tenants to reintegrate until they are confident they will have success," the charity's website reads.
It's the third community built by the program, as projects in Calgary and Edmonton have already proven successful.
"It's a really beautiful program," Hutchings said.
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With files from All in a Day