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Homes for Heroes solicited feedback from veterans before designing the village and heard they want a program where they can access services and rehabilitate. They also learned affordable housing projects that retrofit apartment buildings aren’t a great option for many people who have spent years living on the street.

“That space is overwhelming. It’s actually too much space,” Howard said. Tenants can slip into hoarding tendencies and get into a cycle of shutting themselves away.

Tiny homes are smaller and offer privacy. The barracks format of the village offers a familiar, supportive environment, which will be complemented by on-site social service support through a partnership with the Mustard Seed. Each home will be named after a fallen Canadian military member.

City of Edmonton.

Funding for the project comes from the McCann Family Foundation, Canadian Legacy Project, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, Atco and other private donations.

Howard said the next step is to conduct detailed community engagement. During the roughly two years veterans are expected to stay in the village, they will want to be part of the community, he said. They’ll want to get involved shovelling rinks and cutting grass. “They want to support and stand on guard for the community.”

With the lease approved, the project still needs to go through the city’s land use and zoning processes.

Supplied.

Coun. Jon Dziadyk, who represents Evansdale, said he thinks it’s a unique solution that will be valuable for veterans and make use of an awkward “orphaned parcel” of land.