Brockville, Ont. tiny homes builds continue after permit, code issues resolved

Brockville tiny homes find a home Tiny homes built by at-risk youth have finally found a new home and construction can continue. CTV's Nate Vandermeer reports.

The tiny homes built in Brockville, Ont. in 2021 that were caught up in municipal red tape have finally found a new location, while the successful youth program behind it continues to build more, with a new partner now involved.

"Those homes actually ended up going to some not-for-profit organizations outside of the local area," Heather Rowat, the 'We Are The Change' Program Facilitator for the Employment and Education Centre (EEC), said.

Tiny homes are seen as part of the solution to Canada's affordable housing problem, with these built by at-risk youth who register for the 'We Are The Change’ program.

Rowat is pleased they can now move forward with more tiny home construction with the municipal red-tape behind them.

"We've ironed out some of the kinks we had with some of the first builds and now its onward and upward," added Rowat. "We're doing very well with our partnerships with the local agencies, and the city has worked with us very, very, well. We're all working together and it's working out wonderfully."

One of those new partners is Legacy Homes, a not-for-profit company who offers affordable long-term, sustainable rental for those who need it.

"We're really excited about a local solution to what is a pretty significant need," said Michael Stanley, Legacy Homes executive director.

"Affordable housing is something that we are all trying to figure out, and this is a chance for us, as a local housing provider, to think about how we can join other local partners and local skill development to come together and see what we can collectively combine to solve this issue," he said.

Stanley notes that the finished builds from the EEC program are gifted to Legacy Homes, and will be placed adjacent to another home on existing property owned by them.

"We're thinking that the use of these secondary units will be another chance for someone to be a neighbour to someone that already lives in Legacy Homes and to think about how we can collectively kind of live together, one neighbourhood at a time," Stanley said.

The finished unit sitting along North Augusta Road in Brockville is the first of three that Legacy Homes plans to build with the EEC. It will go on a rural property just north of the city in Elizabethtown-Kitley Township.

"I have to commend the United Counties in the last number of months. There has been some kind of loosening and improvements around the use of secondary units so that's really made this project possible," Stanley said.

"Elizabethtown-Kitley has been a great partner and made things very seamless and we haven't had any trouble with the red tape pieces," he noted. "As soon as the snow thaws this April and we can get shovels in the ground, we'll be backing up a truck and bringing it to the new location."

While Rowat says there was frustration that the earlier homes could not stay locally, the program had to continue, as it continued to help fill gaps in the trade industry.

"Currently from our last cohort we have two individuals who are in electrical apprenticeships, we have some that are into the mechanical engineering and we have a number of students who have actually graduated with their Grade 12 and moving on forward into the trades as well," she said.

"We are kind of hitting some things here with the housing crisis, with the housing situation, and also with filling those gaps in the trades as well so it's nice to have that home come local," Rowat said.

Currently, the program is looking for 20 youth to join in the next summer and fall builds, with room for 10 in each program.

The students will be paid to learn a trade, and the finished project is now guaranteed to stay local.

"We don't have the exact dates yet, but we are working on that," noted Rowat. "But we are accepting resumes right now for the intakes for the two tiny homes that are coming up."

For Stanley, the partnership means they can continue their goal of building inclusive communities, which people can afford.

"Inclusive communities has been a key element to Legacy Homes, so we've been thinking one home, one person, one neighbourhood at a time," he said.

"At the end of the day this is going to be in somebody's neighbourhood that says, 'I need an affordable place to live' and this is going to be one other option they can come and call home," he added.

Stanley says these new communities will include community gardens, where renters can become neighbours and friends.

"We all are better when we are together, so that's a core element of how we can build inclusive communities, one affordable home at a time," he said. "Being a part of a neighbourhood and helping one another and being there for each other, that's a key element. We are hoping we can do with these secondary suites."

The total cost to build one tiny home, or secondary suites as Legacy Homes refers to them, through the program is around $120,000.

"I wanted to take the opportunity to thank all of our partners, all of our donors and I think that the community in Brockville, they have a lot of support in this community from our partners all around, our businesses that work here in Brockville," added Rowat.

"Funding that we have is pays for materials and a number of things in the program. It's a fully paid program for the participants and there's lots of wraparound support for the whole program," she said.

"It has been a very successful so send us your youth and hopefully we'll put out somebody who can remodel your basement!"

Youth interested in registering for the 'We Are The Change' program can apply through the Employment and Education Centre website, or by contacting Rowat through email.