Article content

The country’s largest tiny house community is expected to open in Gatineau by Christmas, providing shelter for up to 100 people people who now find themselves homeless.

The innovative project, known as Transition Village, will replace the tent village opened last year in the parking lot next to the Robert Guertin Arena.

“The project is on track and progressing well,” said Sylvie Charbonneau, spokesperson for The Devcore Group, the development firm behind the project.

Article content

The village’s waterworks, sewer and electricity systems are currently under construction and connected to those of the City of Gatineau.

THE The Village Transitiôn community will be made up of 85 modified shipping containers each filled with a bed, sink, toilet, refrigerator, storage space, and even a small porch. The containers – units will be 100 or 150 square feet – will also include heating, air conditioning and high-speed internet access. Larger units will have double beds and a fully equipped kitchen.

The village will also include two shared kitchens, a laundry room, a greenhouse, a garden, a dog park, a bicycle repair shop and an intervention center with social and psychological support services.

Last month, the City of Gatineau announced that it would devote $1.5 million to this project managed by the non-profit organization Transitiôn Québec. The City also agreed to lease part of the land adjacent to the Robert Guertin arena to the group for a period of 10 years.

When the lease expires, the land and its serviced land will be returned to the city.

Nancy Martineau, general director of Transitiôn Québec, indicated that the first modified maritime container should arrive in three weeks.

Article content

Article content

“Our goal is to be able to place 72 people before Christmas, and the rest after Christmas,” she said on Wednesday.

To be eligible for a unit, prospective residents must be currently homeless, at least 18 years old and residents of Quebec.

This week, Martineau said, the first 82 people approved for spots at Village Transitioniôn will receive their acceptance letters.

The tiny house community is funded through an unusual collaboration bringing together public and private revenue sources.

Sources of revenue include a bank loan of $3 million taken out by Transitiôn Québec and $2.5 million from the sale of housing to individuals and businesses. The rent payments will be used to repay the loan and pay interest to investors.

According to Martineau, this approach allows a diverse set of actors – philanthropists, entrepreneurs, businesses and foundations – to participate in a local and sustainable project to combat homelessness.

The Mental Health and Addiction Programs Department of the Outaouais Health Authority will also provide staff resources to the village.

Article content

Tenants in the village will contribute about 30 percent of their monthly income toward rent, which is expected to be between $200 and $500. They will also need to sign up for a financial trust that will deposit welfare checks and manage monthly rent payments.

Transition Village tiny homes are intended to be a form of transitional housing where residents can recover from the physical and psychological burden of homelessness and develop the skills they need to advance in the housing market. Martineau said she expected residents to stay in the village between one and five years.

“We want to give them time to rest and think about their future,” she said.

Martineau said she hopes the model will be replicated in other cities. Already, she said, officials from Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal, Quebec and Granby, Quebec, have been in contact with Transitiôn Québec to benefit from its experience.

Village Transition will be about twice the size of the tiny house community in Peterborough, Ontario, which last year opened 50 small modular homes on the edge of downtown to help that city’s homeless population survive the ‘winter.

Andrew Duffy is a National Newspaper Award-winning journalist and feature writer based in Ottawa. To support his work, including exclusive subscriber-only content, subscribe here: ottawacitizen.com/subscription

Article content