Big funding for tiny homes helps tackle homelessness in St. Thomas

St. Thomas is tackling its homelessness crisis one tiny home at a time.

“St. Thomas continues to build toward net zero in homelessness, and this gives us another leg up, doing so,” said St. Thomas Mayor Joe Preston.

The mayor took part in a joint federal and provincial funding announcement Wednesday for the Tiny Hope project on Kains Street in St. Thomas.

Ontario’s Associate Minister of Housing, Vijay Thanigasalam was on hand to announce $2,494,960 through the Canada-Ontario Community Housing Initiative (COCHI).

“What a remarkable accomplishment, transforming a former industrial property that was unused for more than a decade into this vibrant community,” said Thanigasalam.

“This shows you what communities can do when they work together,” added Elgin Middlesex London MPP Rob Flack.

The Tiny Hope project also helps knock down a long wait list for affordable housing.

“People that have had enormous challenges in their life, through no fault of their own, are going to be given a second chance here in a model of housing, that as I said before, allows for dignity,” said London North Centre MP Peter Fragiskatos.

Eight tiny homes already on the site were built in a three-day building blitz by a number of builders and contractors. They are just the first of 40 homes that will be built on the property.

The kitchen of a model tiny home at the Tiny Hope project in St. Thomas as seen on Nov. 13, 2024. (Bryan Bicknell/CTV News London)Managed by the YWCA, the project will also feature a ‘program house’ with wraparound supports.

The supportive housing units will be home to 66 people in one, two, and three-bedroom units.

Women, Indigenous people, young adults, and persons with disabilities will make up the new community, said YWCA Executive Director Lindsay Rice.

“The population will be women and women-led families. Four of the units will be dedicated to Indigenous people. Four of the units will be for Community Living Elgin, and we also have dedicated 25 per cent of the units to youth, ages 16 to 24,” explained Rice.

The project involves a number of private sector partners, with Doug Tarry Homes taking the lead in construction and remediation of the former brownfield site.

Tarry said the homes may be tiny, but they are cost efficient, and built with high-tech standards to withstand the elements.

“These are all net-zero ready homes, and we built them to be extremely durable using new wind-resistant standards that we’re actually testing for the government at Western University. So, it’s really cool, what we’re able to pull off in these little homes,” said Tarry.

An additional $3 million came from the city of St. Thomas for the Tiny Hope project, with future funding being secured through Canada Mortgage and Housing, along with private donors.

The total project value is $14.5 million and construction is expected to be complete by summer of 2026.