City council Monday evening unanimously approved supporting Project Tiny Hope to the tune of $3 million.
The affordable 40 units in Project Tiny Hope are to be developed at 21 Kains Street and include a mix of one, two and three-bedroom rental units to accommodate adults, youth and families.
Heather Sheridan, director of St. Thomas Elgin Social Services, called it a great investment for the city.
Coun. Gary Clarke called the undertaking “the deal of the century . . . there are so many bullet points for the city.”
Lindsay Rice, YWCA executive director stresses these homes may be tiny but hold a big vision for the development of a stronger and more vibrant city.
The next step is an application for the CMHC’s Rapid Housing Initiative for $6.7 million to be submitted in the coming weeks.
In addition, $3 million is being sought from the provincial government.
Assuming funding approvals are received from upper tier government, we asked Rice how quickly shovels could be in the ground.
Rice stresses “Not only will be creating 40 tiny homes and a program house, but also a community where individuals will support one another, garden, access top-of-the-line cooking facilities and meeting rooms providing safe spaces for system navigation and case-based management.”
Subject to funding approvals, the housing units are to be completed by December 2024.
Total cost of Project Tiny Hope is $14.7 million.
More details on the project can be found here.
Written by Ian McCallum
