GUELPH – The Guelph Tiny Homes Coalition unveiled a prototype of the homes they plan to build to help give people experiencing homelessness that stability they need to get back on their feet.
The home was on display in Guelph on Wednesday. It is 120 square feet, it can accommodate a couple, has R21 insulation, a steel door and two windows to provide a cross-breeze in the summer. Remley Homes will be building the homes.
The inside of the tiny home prototype. Photo courtesy of the Guelph Tiny Homes Coalition.
“We went to different tiny homes projects in southern Ontario and we also talked to folks from other projects,” explained Mike Marcolongo, volunteer project manager for the Coalition. “We decided to take the best practices from all of those projects in terms of construction.”
Marcolongo says they’ve established partnerships with groups like the Royal City Mission, Guelph Community Health Centre, and Stonehenge Therapeutic Community to provide services to the residents of the tiny homes. They are also getting support from the Guelph Chamber of Commerce.
“It is a disruptive model,” said Marcolongo. “North Americans’ attitude towards housing, these are micro units, small units, and they would say ‘Well that’s not good enough’ and I would challenge those people that what’s not good enough is having to live outdoors in the cold in the winter.”
Tiny homes also provide a safe space where people can secure their belongings, giving them much needed stability.
“It enables them to start thinking about their next steps, they are not always worried about their possessions being stolen,” explained Marcolongo. “If they have a pet, they can have a pet in that unit. If they have a partner they are segregated by gender which happens in our shelter system.”
The Coalition is still searching for a site but might soon have one. Marcolongo says city staff are presenting a report on a possible location to Guelph city council later this month.
