Brantford, Ont. city staff have indicated they see no reason not to give a green light to plans for the construction of two tiny-home prototypes — a one-bed dwelling and a two-bed dwelling — on property secured in the city, a signal that the project to bring a tiny-home community to life has advanced another step. 

With this approval in place and land already secured in Brantford, participants of the Feb. 8 Tiny Homes Working Circle, formed in 2021 as a citizen-led response to the housing crisis the city is experiencing, are now looking at ways to develop criteria to help determine candidates that would be the best match for the first phase in this tiny-home living initiative.

While there is still work to be done to get the first tiny-home dwellings built and occupied in Brantford, the group has been keeping a steady pace.

To move things along, participants proposed hosting another Community Conversation in the coming weeks to bring new people into the circle to garner their input. 

It was also suggested the group glean insight from a recent homeless forum summit held in the region to learn who might be best suited for a tiny home. 

Another piece of exciting news is that founder of BetterStreet, Tony D’Amato Stortz who, as one participant points out, “wrote the book on building tiny homes,” has offered to join an upcoming working circle to share insight on how the project can best take its next steps. 

One participant of the working circle reported that a family that recently moved into one of the properties managed by the nonprofit housing corporation they work for has two teenagers who have offered their help to build the tiny-home prototypes. 

Meanwhile, some participants will be looking into Social Financing and Community Bonds as a potential funding models, while continuing to work on writing grants. Another shared that they have recently started volunteering with Habitat for Humanity, a worldwide organization committed to building affordable housing. 

While there is still work to be done to get the first tiny-home dwellings built and occupied in Brantford, the group has been keeping a steady pace. 

The latest working circle was, as one participant puts it, one more chapter of “piecing things together to get to the next step.”

Get Involved!

If you have interest in joining this tiny home project in Brantford, Ontario, experience in building them, funds or spaces to offer or help access, or if you simply wish to know more, please contact Jocelyn at jocelynbirkes@clbrant.com.

A version of this article was originally posted on the Community Living Brant website, and appears here with permission.