Tiny houses and homelessness

There have recently been many articles in the Citizen about homelessness and some of the ideas about how to respond to the social issue, such as the new development on the old NR Motors site.

While I applaud the city, provincial government, and BC Housing for working on this most recent project, I suspect that some of the reaction from the general public is the shock of the price tag per unit. I have also read opinions that these people should clean up their lives first before they “deserve” this level of social housing and not understanding how people get clean. They think it is as easy as going to treatment or seeking mental health supports or finding a job.

None of these people have any idea about how limited these resources are and the incredible challenges that people face when they are on the streets.

People make the assumption that in Canada we live in a country in which the playing field is level and fair for everyone. I challenge the reader to take the Adverse Childhood Experiences Scale (ACES) test (https://developingchild.harvard.edu/ media-coverage/take-the-ace-quiz-and-learnwhat-it-does-and-doesnt-mean/) online and score it for themselves.

The 10-question scale measures the number of adverse childhood experiences an individual faced prior to the age of 18. There is a strong correlation between ACE scores, mental health, and addictions.

The well-known physician and addictions expert Gabor Mate, who worked on the downtown east side of Vancouver, would argue that the opposite of addiction is not sobriety but connection.

Everything that the general public knows about addiction is ill-informed or just plain wrong.

It is lot more complex than “just say no to drugs.”

Let’s get back to housing options. I know that many people will have their lives transformed by this new development. I also know, due to my 30 years as a social worker, that many people will chose not to sign up for such a housing option. Therefore, another option can be presented, one of empowerment and self-determination: tiny houses.

Tiny houses are portable and cheap to build. None of the units would require running water if you place them in an area with a central structure containing bath facilities and a few offices for health and social services.

The most important part, however, is that the community would be run by the residents themselves defining the residential requirements and rules.

The only support required would be someone trained in non-violent communication skills who can provide these tools to build self-governance capacity.

While this housing development would require land, it could be set up on property that is not currently utilized.

Additionally, the community could potentially be moved at any point especially if the central structure is also a modular portable unit.

I am no accountant, but I suspect such a development would cost significantly less per unit than the current proposal set for the old NR Motors site.

Brent Goerz Prince George