Tiny homes can have an enormous impact
Habitat for Humanity has diversified its housing options, writes Vicky Sanderson
Since 1976, Habitat for Humanity has worked with communities to build affordable standalone housing for families. But 56 years later, its highly successful model of single-family home ownership is just one of several accessible housing types it supports, says Eden Grodzinski, CEO of Habitat for Humanity for Halton-Mississauga-Dufferin.
Projects include a partnership with the University of Windsor to build the first 3D-printed homes for residential use in Canada, and a recently-opened 41-unit condo complex in Peterborough, Ont. The multipronged approach is part of its commitment to address housing affordability and homelessness, which 17 Canadian mayors have jointly declared a national crisis.
“We've always had a strong interest in looking at how can we increase the number of units we build, and improve cost and energy efficiency,” Grodzinski says.
Other models include a 230-square-foot modular “tiny home” that will be used by the Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation in Neyaashiinigmiing, on the Bruce Peninsula.
Habitat formed a partnership with the Chippewas community, which also operates Cape Croker Park, about five years ago. In that time, more than a dozen traditional full-sized homes have been constructed.
The new build plan includes five tiny units. Designed in partnership with the community, two will serve as emergency shelter and three as affordable housing solutions for individuals and small families.
Not only is the partnership bringing affordable homes to the Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation, but it's doing it with state-of-the-art design, Chief Veronica Smith said in a November 2021 release.
“We are providing hands-on training for students in the housing and construction trades. We appreciate the dedication and skills coming to our First Nation; building lasting relationships and sharing in cultural exchanges at the same time,” she says.
Habitat Grey Bruce will work with the community (which decides who gets them) on installation and site-servicing.
“We felt tiny homes were the perfect fit for short-term and intermediate housing for that community,” Grodzinski says.
Their short lead time, for example, makes them time-efficient.
“We can bring units to market faster than a traditional build. Houses built indoors face very minimal weather delays. Factories can build (a modular unit) within six weeks.”
Another community connection to the project goes back to 2019, when Habitat partnered with the Milton District High School for a skilled trades program.
An original aim was to engage youth in trades training. That's a good goal¸ as Canada is expected to be short thousands of trade workers over the next five years. Now, with support of True North Tiny Homes, more than 100 secondary students will gain handson experience and high-school credits by building a tiny home.
As the program has grown, it's become clear there are additional social benefits. Along with practical skills, students also learn about the need for affordable housing, and the social value of community participation, suggests Grodzinski.
Grodzinski says that in every community, stable, secure housing can transform lives by providing people with a safe place to sleep or do homework and a base from which to look for work, go to school, and regularly access local supports.
“Decent housing has the power to change individual lives by supporting stable employment, better physical and mental health outcomes, and increased access to education,” Grodzinski says.
Beyond respecting basic human dignity, there are other dividends, Grodzinski adds, citing a Habitat/Boston Consulting Group that showed every $1 in investment in a habitat home produces $4 in social benefits. Poverty, she adds, is expensive. “You spend money on health care, for example. Look at the pandemic — communities where people were in unsafe conditions were having higher incidences of COVID.”
Grodzinski — formerly part of a team that reduced baseline homeless in Stratford significantly — has been long convinced that our housing problems are solvable.
“With the right investment and support, we could end chronic homelessness,” she says.