Saskatoon committee approves $160K towards tiny home project

Sixteen homeless men could soon have a place to call home in Saskatoon as the Central Urban Métis Federation Inc. (CUMFI) moves forward with a new tiny home pilot project.

The city’s planning committee unanimously approved $160,000 in funding for the project Wednesday, with the money coming from Saskatoon’s Affordable Housing Reserve.

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During Wednesday’s planning, development and community services meeting, Shirley Isbister, president of CUMFI, made the request and gave city councillors details of the pilot project.

She said 16 homeless men would move into the homes, with social service dollars covering rent and utilities.

A director of the homes will work with the men to help them find employment or educational opportunities.

“They need to be alcohol- and drug-free, because we’re in a community where we have schools, and we have children in our community homes,” she added.

According to Isbister, the goal of the tiny homes is to give the men a “hand up.”

The single-unit homes will be about 160 square feet, and each will contain a small kitchenette, a bathroom with a toilet, sink and shower, a bed, a desk and a small living space. They will be located at 1520 19th Street West in Pleasant Hill.

Sarah King, the City of Saskatoon’s housing and homelessness manager, told councillors the project supports the city’s affordable housing strategy, including tiny home development.

“It also supports broader city objectives by increasing the supply and diversity of affordable housing, supporting an Indigenous-led housing initiative, and creating additional housing options for people experiencing homelessness,” she said.

Isbister said CUMFI is waiting for permits to build the homes and, if all goes well, residents could move in by late December at the earliest and January at the latest.

If city council ultimately approves the incentives, including a five-year tax abatement, the organization would enter into an agreement with the City of Saskatoon to establish income eligibility requirements, maximum rental rates, and other construction and reporting requirements.