Groundbreaking on horizon for tiny home veterans village

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This article was published 10/07/2023 (833 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

An Alberta-based organization that helps homeless veterans reintegrate into civilian life via affordable temporary housing and supports will soon be making an impact in Winnipeg.

Homes for Heroes Foundation is in the process of finalizing its permits to begin construction of Winnipeg Kinsmen Veterans Village, a development of 20 so-called tiny homes on Transcona Boulevard.

Plans were publicly announced in May 2022. Construction is hoped to begin within the next two months, and be finished by 2024.

The organization has built similar communities in Calgary and Edmonton, with a development underway in Kingston, Ont.

One Canadian military veteran who spent time homeless upon being discharged — who chose only to be identified by the initial “D” — told the Free Press such supports are much needed.

During the time he lacked a fixed address, D supported himself by doing odd jobs until he was able to access his pension.

D said veterans often shun talking about the experiences they had while serving and will refrain from seeking out charity, regardless of their situation.

“You tell me how a homeless guy right now is going to understand… who can help them get off the streets? Who is going to give them all the numbers and resources to get a pension?”

A resident of Ontario, D noted even though he was eventually able to access his pension (due partially to a protracted divorce), the money he received is now close to running out. He’s planning applying to live at the Homes for Heroes village in Kingston.

D said he suffers from tinnitus, degenerative disc disease, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Homes for Heroes was created in consultation with 200 veterans. The organization’s housing facilities are tiny homes, between 100 and 400 square feet in size. There are 20 of these per village.

Residency is temporary, as the goal is to have “each veteran leave the village and re-enter mainstream society employed, stable and self-sufficient. This process can take several years or several months,” Homes for Heroes website says.

“Post-traumatic stress, education and retraining are already offered through VAC (Veterans Affairs Canada),” president David Howard said. “The problem and where you see the issues with our veterans is accessing it.”

The organization is partnered with Veterans Affairs Canada, which allows it to connect vets with caseworkers and services they require through the department. Homes for Heroes also employs two on-site social workers at both of its locations.

In 2019, a House of Commons committee concluded up to 5,000 veterans in Canada were likely to be homeless. Howard said it is a flawed estimate and the real number probably exceeds 10,000.

Howard said Homes for Heroes decided to expand into Winnipeg due to the demonstrated need, especially among Indigenous veterans.

Carolyn Hughes, director of veterans services for Royal Canadian Legion, agrees part of the problem is those who are homeless or at-risk of homelessness often don’t know how to access the resources Veterans Affairs Canada provides.

The Legion has a memorandum of understanding that allows it to connect vets with Veterans Affairs Canada caseworkers. It also operates a national program called “Leave the Streets Behind,” which helps with rent and groceries and connects homeless veterans with places to live.

“When you’re in service, you have that sense of comradeship, you’re in a military family,” Hughes said. “You’ve lived the same experiences.”

Seeing that others, via a Veterans Village, are experiencing homelessness could help reduce the feeling of shame some often have about their situation, she said.

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Howard is pleased with the way things have been developing in Winnipeg thus far for Homes for Heroes.

“A great thing about Winnipeg is that we have such incredible community support already. The people of Winnipeg have truly embraced us and that’s a big honour for us, it’s humbling,” Howard said. “We’re excited to work with the community.”

The organization has already received a $1-million donation from the Kinsmen Club of Winnipeg. The City of Winnipeg assisted in securing the land. The organization has also received support from the province.

Howard noted Homes for Heroes plans to use local suppliers and contractors to build its village.

graham.mcdonald@freepress.mb.ca