TINY TOWNS FOR BIG IMPACT

COMMUNITY + HOUSING

Creating New Paths to Affordable Housing and Home Ownership

The Tiny Town Association (a registered NFP) hopes, through advocation, demonstration, standards development and design/build assistance, to expand the affordable housing options available across Canada.  We also hope to see it happen within a plan that is environmentally responsible, replicable, and will remain affordable for future generations.

TINY TOWN ASSOCIATION

MISSION

To positively impact people’s lives by offering beautiful, permanently affordable, and environmentally sustainable micro-housing, developed through a lens of wellness and community-centric living spaces.

Together we can help people thrive while helping to shape the future of housing in Canada. 

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Thoughtful Density

Pocket Neigbourhoods

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Vibrant & Sustainable

On & Off-Grid Communities

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Bridging the Gaps

Transformational Housing

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TINY TOWN ASSOCIATION

Benefits of a Tiny Home Life

Community-Centric

By building with community in mind we house people PLUS provide caring relationships. Healthy relationships are factors in preventing homelessness and mental health issues.

Thoughtful Density

Instead of turning every available acre into townhomes or towers, creating pocket neighbourhoods is an effective use of space and creates community while offering more open space.

HAS Relief

Studies have proven, that cumulative exposure to housing affordability stress (HAS) leads to poorer mental health and chronic diseases and disorders.

Steady housing is connected to good health. 

Building for need

Our current housing stock does not represent the diversity of actual need. Most home ownership models serve people at 60% to 100% of the area’s average median income (AMI). TTA plans to create an opportunity for households at 30% to 50% of Ontario’s typical AMI. 

Downsize with Dignity

Ageing in place is often impossible with the price of housing.  Tiny living is the perfect solution to care for our ageing family members, offering accessible spaces and autonomous living.

Food Security Enabler

When households are able to afford their housing costs without stretching their budget too thin, they have more disposable income available to spend on other necessities such as food.

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Our Experience

What We Can Help With

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land ownership/partnership contract

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funding - CMHC seed to start, private/corporate participation, CMHC co-investment funding

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PM firm contracting

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site design - architectural design

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studies - all enviro, municipal, etc

N

approvals, permits

N

contracts with construction service providers

N

For rentals - CMHC vetting via contracted rental management company

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if sales included - tiny home site sales, construction, financing through bank/credit union or other

N

if the community centre is included, that would need to be integrated as well

N

sourcing/contracting local property management

N

company, rental management company

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if off-grid, contracts with utility providers

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ongoing site oversite, through management companies

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Open-space shelters often cannot accommodate some people and thus they choose a tent outside. These people are not refusing shelter, the shelter system cannot be all things to all people in the set-up they have. Couples, people with kids or pets are often not able to seek emergency shelter. Not all homeless are able to live on their own or pay rent, but a solution of tiny homes could allow for a new way to transition people from the street to a home.

A Tiny Canin Community (sleeping pods with shared facility) or a pocket community like what is seen with 12 Neighbours is a great solution.

12 Neighbours
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As it stands, senior citizens account for at least 8.3% of Canada’s homeless shelter population. That number does not include the hidden homeless or those sleeping rough. It should be noted the number is trending upward as we speak. In 2017, approximately 62% of Canadian seniors admitted to having difficulty keeping their bills up to date.
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1 in 5 shelter users in Canada are youth.
More than a third of young people who experience homelessness in Canada are from Ontario.

20% of the Canadian homeless population are youth between 13 and 24.

40% of homeless youth in Canada will have first experienced homelessness before the age of 16.

Stats Link
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Approximately 25% of persons reporting a disability are low-income, “earning less than one-half of the median Canadian income” (Wall, 2017). Employment and income for persons with disabilities are dependent upon the type of disability. Individuals with mental-cognitive disabilities have lower incomes than those with fine motor and dexterity disabilities.
Stats Link
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Urban Indigenous Peoples experience homelessness at a disproportionate rate and make up a significant percentage of people experiencing homelessness in cities. Research shows that Indigenous homelessness in major urban areas ranges from 20-50% of the total homeless population, while others have reported that the range may be much wider, at 11-96%. Put another way, in some Canadian cities such as Yellowknife or Whitehorse Indigenous Peoples make up 90 percent of the homeless population. Places like Thunder Bay and Winnipeg fair somewhat better; an average of 50 percent of those experiencing homelessness are Indigenous. In Toronto, Canada’s largest urban centre, Indigenous Peoples constitute around 15% of those experiencing homelessness in the city, even though they make up only around 0.5 of the total population. In fact, one study found that 1 in 15 Indigenous Peoples in urban centres experience homelessness compared to 1 in 128 for the general population. This means that Urban Indigenous Peoples are 8 times more likely to experience homelessness.
Stats Link
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Securing reliable employment and having access to adequate and affordable housing are critical first steps in the immigration settlement process. Newcomers, including immigrants and refugees, often face increasing barriers to affordable housing. This puts many newcomers at risk of homelessness because of various factors, including poverty, discrimination, racism, cuts to social programs, unrecognized foreign employment and educational credentials, delays in work permits and/or health-related issues. As a result, more immigrants and refugees are requiring shelter, drop-in and housing assistance in addition to settlement services.
Homelesshub.ca
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Securing reliable employment and having access to adequate and affordable housing are critical first steps in the immigration settlement process. Newcomers, including immigrants and refugees, often face increasing barriers to affordable housing. This puts many newcomers at risk of homelessness because of various factors, including poverty, discrimination, racism, cuts to social programs, unrecognized foreign employment and educational credentials, delays in work permits and/or health-related issues. As a result, more immigrants and refugees are requiring shelter, drop-in and housing assistance in addition to settlement services.
Homelesshub.ca
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Poverty has been consistently linked with poorer health, higher healthcare costs, greater demands on social and community services, more stress on family members, and diminished school success – not to mention huge costs associated with reduced productivity and foregone economic activity.
dignityforall.ca
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Startup villages have long been seen as hotbeds for new ideas and company launches. StartUp Villages could be the one-stop incubator/accelerator services company that enables startups to bring their unique ideas and business concept to reality while living in an affordable, community-centric village.
There are numerous examples of villages around the globe.
Amsterdam Science Park
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9 major segments of our communities are at risk of homelessness or emigration out of the city.

Each one carries with it various degrees of financial, healthcare, and mental health burdens on society as a whole, well beyond what just the individual experiences.

We need a housing solution that is accessible, affordable, dignified and built around community.  That means smaller footprints and designs that inspire community living.  Apartments do not do this and open-space shelters do not do this.

This is not just solving a problem for the less fortunate, but a massive opportunity to give people back their lives and allow them to contribute more to their own health and their community.

We're excited to partner with local builders, developers, municipalities and the Province to create a pilot pocket community or neighbourhood in our region within the next two years.

These micro-layout neighbourhoods will be a game-changer for both urban and suburban areas looking to minimize a development footprint, maximize community spirit and see all those in need find deeper affordable housing.

Join our mission. Volunteer, Donate, Advocate. Get Started Today.

Email:   |   Call: 613-384-9833

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