Veteran homelessness is a serious crisis plaguing those who have served in the military. On a single night in January 2024, over 32,000 veterans were experiencing homelessness in the United States.
This isn’t only an issue in the U.S. Estimates show that more than 10,000 veterans experience homelessness in Canada, as well.
But a new initiative across Canada hopes to decrease those numbers and end veteran homelessness for good.
The Homes For Heroes Foundation has been building tiny home “Veteran Villages” since 2019, with locations in Calgary, Edmonton, Kingston, and soon, Winnipeg.
These villages are built with a mindfulness of the veteran experience, with 15-20 accessible tiny homes arranged in an inward-facing, “barracks-style” layout, which helps facilitate connection and support among residents.
Each home is about 300 square feet in size. It comes with a fully supplied small kitchen, a three-piece bathroom, and a living area with a Murphy bed and storage. Each unit is provided with basic cable, internet, and a telephone.
Communal areas also include indoor and outdoor gathering spaces, case worker offices and a therapy room, computer stations, a community kitchen, a laundry room, community gardens, a recreation court, waste and recycling facilities, and commemoration plaques on each home.
“Tiny homes are the perfect platform for someone transitioning from living rough: a safe, private, self-contained space in which to keep their belongings, attend to their needs, and start on the path to recovery within a community of their peers,” the Homes For Heroes Foundation website says.
“The goal is for our Veterans’ Villages to make a positive contribution to the host community while instilling a sense of pride, identity, and ownership among the residents.”
According to Brian Harris from the Royal Canadian Legion Ontario, many veterans struggle with challenges that compound homelessness and make it difficult to adjust to civilian life.
“There’s a number of different things that can occur — financial difficulties, family situations, and Occupational Stress Injuries such as PTSD,” Harris told local radio station 1069: The Hex.
“Addictions and other challenges in our community can also have a snowball effect, increasing the risk of homelessness.”
Not only do the Veteran Villages include architecture and design that aims to help veterans in crisis, but the Homes For Heroes Foundation provides personalized support services for its residents.
“Even before I moved in here, the staff helped me get in touch with Veterans Affairs, get some stuff sorted out, and start the claims that I never even considered applying for,” Jeremy, a veteran who lived in one of the villages, shared on the organization’s website. “They saved my life.”
Staff and case workers surely help these veterans get back on their feet, but many have found unparalleled support in one another.
“There’s no other place like this for veterans,” Joel, another former resident shared in a testimonial. “Let’s say one of us is having a bad day, you go over to another guy’s house and he’s right next door, like ‘Hey buddy I need to talk.’ It’s just not there anywhere else.”
Harris, who is a leader in veteran homelessness, says that this communal aspect is what makes the Veteran Villages so impactful.
“The key aspect is that it’s a village, a community,” Harris told 1069. “You’re with others who share the same experiences and struggles. That peer support among comrades can make a huge difference in improving their living situation.”
There is no deadline for “graduating” from the program, but the foundation’s ultimate goal is to help each veteran regain control of their lives, secure permanent housing, and obtain financial security or employment.
With three operating villages, one under construction, and four sites actively under review, the number of veterans the organization helps will continue to scale.
And Harris hopes this program is just one step of many in the right direction.
“One homeless veteran is too many,” he told 1069. “This is just one approach … it must be complemented by continuous efforts from veteran support organizations, all three levels of government, and the broader community.”
Header image courtesy of Homes For Heroes Foundation
