Whitehorse Daily Star

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Photo by Vince Fedoroff

EMPHASIZING PRECAUTIONS – Itai Katz, seen speaking to city council Monday evening, has stressed the importance of the tiny homes being built to withstand earthquakes and other major events.

Public hearing on tiny houses set for Jan. 15

Residents will have a chance to share their thoughts on a proposal that would see a five-unit tiny home development built at Jarvis Street and Sixth Avenue.

By Stephanie Waddell on December 13, 2017

Residents will have a chance to share their thoughts on a proposal that would see a five-unit tiny home development built at Jarvis Street and Sixth Avenue.

On Monday evening, city council passed first reading on a zoning amendment for the property that’s owned by Blood Ties Four Directions, which is proposing the project.

The zoning change would allow for the five units, rather than four that would be permitted under the current zoning, as well as waive the requirement for indoor or secured bicycle storage.

If the zoning change doesn’t go through, Blood Ties would move forward with a four-unit development that fits with the current zone.

Patricia Bacon, Blood Ties’ executive director, presented the plans to council last week. She recalling the four years the group operated the 240-square-foot Steve Cardiff House downtown.

That program aimed at helping the homeless find housing saw one Blood Ties client per year live in the home and access programming.

That ended in 2016, when the owners of the lot the house was located on opted to move ahead with their own development plans for the site.

The Steve Cardiff House has since been in storage, but would be moved to the new site when development there goes ahead.

Blood Ties has since purchased the property at Jarvis and Sixth to move ahead with the plans for more housing.

Under the new program, there would be no time limits on when residents would have to leave.

As Bacon explained, the group learned from its experience with the house that it was better to not put a time limit on how long clients can live in the home.

Rather, the best way to support clients is not to set a time limit as long as the resident is continuing to work on his or her program.

Under the program, tenants would be provided with supports, and rent will be based on income.

Bacon also emphasized it would not take away from the private rental market, as the clients are those who are precariously housed and generally struggle to find housing and require supports to keep that housing.

The site will be designed “to feel like a community,” Bacon said.

At Monday’s council meeting, before members voted in favour of first reading, they heard from one resident who said he was pleased to learn of the plans that could help ease the housing crisis in the city.

While noting praise for the overall initiative, Itai Katz, who said he has a background in developing exterior insulation systems, also suggested that it needs to be done “the right way.”

Pointing out the development will essentially be made up of five separate structures, Katz questioned the energy efficiency of the homes, noting his hope that work will be done to ensure units are as efficient as possible.

He also stressed the importance of the units being built to withstand earthquakes and other major events that could impact the homes.

It’s possible to build really high-quality homes, Katz said, encouraging the city to ensure that happens.

Before voting in favour of first reading, Coun. Samson Hartland confirmed with staff that the homes will have to meet National Building Code and other such requirements of the city before occupancy will be granted.

First reading moves the zoning change forward to the public hearing phase with that scheduled for council’s Jan. 15 meeting.

There, anyone interested in addressing council can speak or provide written submissions on the proposed amendment.

An administrative report to council on the input gathered will then follow a week later, with council expected to vote on its second and third readings at the Jan. 29 meeting.

Bacon said building the development and having residents move in will be a major focus for Blood Ties through 2018.

Comments (1)

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ProScience Greenie on Dec 13, 2017 at 2:54 pm

With homelessness so big how can they keep the S.C. tiny home in storage? Why not get people in it asap and build more. So much available land out there if you eliminate the real estate and development greed factor.

Too much bloat, optics and ego in all this. Go look at old photos of Whiskey Flats and other areas. People had a roof over their head and pride and dignity back then. Too bad it all got torn down in the name of gentrification and big bucks for a few.

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