Students of Emily Carr University of Art and Design are working to create a tiny home that packs living essentials into 150 square feet. The model will be built on Granville Island but it can't stay there and Robin Burger believes that this could present an opportunity for Bowen Island. At the April 8 council meeting, Burger presented a report on the second Homes for Less program, together with Charles Dobson, associate professor at Emily Carr University. They suggested that the Bowen Island Municipality could take a role in the project.
"We have homeless people on Bowen and I would like to dedicate my presentation to all the local homeless people in the past as well as the present," said Burger who is currently working on a community service practicum for a master's degree in community psychology. She explained that the original Homes for Less project was built at the Emily Carr University site in 2008 and that four of the tiny homes were subsequently brought to Bowen by the Bowen Community Housing Association in an effort to highlight the reality of homelessness and create awareness of the need for affordable housing options.
Burger presented statistics that show that 116,000 people in B.C. are in a housing crisis, with 11,000 being visibly homeless. "Another 65,000 people are at risk of homelessness they spend more than 50 per cent of their income on rent and many live in substandard housing," Burger said, adding that Homes for Less II's goal is to design a unit adopting sustainable design practices using recycled material.
Dobson explained that the original Homes for Less buildings were "just shells" and that this time, the emphasis is on designing a place for a single homeless person that is truck transportable and includes amenities for washroom, heating and other services to make the building livable. Dobson said, "I was impressed that Bowen stepped up to the plate when the tiny houses needed a home [in 2008]. Now we need a place for [the new unit]. That's where we need your support."
"We are hoping there would be a place for it on Bowen," Burger said. "I feel that this is a great opportunity as a model for advancing affordable housing and build awareness."
Dobson said that the unit will have a composting toilet, propane heating, LED lighting and would be connected to water lines coming from the outside. "It also has a bar sink, shower and an under-the-counter bar fridge," he added.
Burger believes the home would fit into a rural setting like Bowen Island and says there has been an expression of interest from a local homeless person.
"It makes sense that we try it out here," Dobson said, explaining that Burger would write a report about the research project. "We want to make sure it works well from many different perspectives we realize that you need more than a building [to address homelessness]."
Councillor Wolfgang Duntz commended Burger for being "one of strongest advocates for affordable housing on Bowen" and said he hopes to make some headway during this term.
"When I use the term affordable housing, I am talking about housing for people who cannot afford to buy a home," he explained. "If that need is not met, we will lose the young folks in the community. When it comes to your proposal, in the public's perception, affordable housing could be mistaken for providing housing for the homeless."
Duntz added that he realizes that housing for the homeless is a part of affordable housing but it makes up only a certain percentage. He also expressed fears that focusing on homelessness could potentially attract more homeless people to Bowen.
"Bowen Island has a small population and a small tax base," Duntz explained. "And we don't have all the services the homeless require, like dealing with mental illness and drug use. I feel that the notion that we build something for the homeless will be counter-productive." Councillor Darron Jennings said that he is a firm believer in pilot projects but that concerns that housing for the homeless could attract more should also be taken under consideration. He also cautioned that the Land Use Bylaw and building code could be hurdles to bringing the unit to the island.
Councillor Cro Lucas mentioned a proposal by Ruth Harding that also envisions building a small house. "It sounds like there is a confluence of the idea," he said. "I see this as an exciting opportunity of trying out a model that is cutting edge."
Councillor Alison Morse stated that bringing the house to Bowen would likely depend on a community-minded resident offering to put it on an empty lot.
Mayor Jack Adelaar acknowledged that affordable housing is an important subject for the Metro Vancouver region and Bowen Island. "The municipality has property that we are trying to develop in a sustainable fashion so we can address things like affordable housing and affordable market housing," he said.
Burger said that Homes for Less II is meant to create awareness. "It is simply a model for progressive design and for dealing with a social issue," she said. "We have this issue in our community. If you address affordable housing, you address homelessness. And it is a project that the community can embrace."
