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The CEO of Calgary retractable awnings retailer Awnings And More, Jason Smith, says he is pleased to hear of the plans of local nonprofit organization the Homes for Heroes Foundation, which aims to build a series of tiny-home communities in every major city throughout Canada to house homeless veterans.
Smith says the problem of homeless veterans in Canada is one that affects everyone in some way or another and it is good to see an organization stepping up to help out.
“The Homes for Heroes Foundation is a fantastic project and it poses a unique solution to a heartbreaking problem in this country,” Smith said. “Providing not only housing, but a sense of community for men and women who have given so much to Canada is an amazing goal and everyone involved with this foundation should be commended for tackling what everyone in this country can agree is a terrible situation for our veterans, who do so much for all Canadians.”
Co-founded by Murray McCann and David Howard, the Calgary-based nonprofit plans to build communities that each have 15-20 fully-furnished tiny homes to house homeless Canadian veterans. The homes are set to be around 250 square feet each and they will be arranged around a communal garden and a separate building that will serve as a hub for the little community.
The Homes for Heroes Foundation also wants to provide a social service counsellor to each small community it builds to help the veterans get reestablished.
Later this year, the initial community is set to open in Calgary. Another community of tiny homes is slated for Calgary and then the Foundation wants to build one in Edmonton before moving on to building one in every major city in Canada. The Foundation’s goal is to house every homeless veteran within a decade.
“They’re in shelters, they’re on the street, they’re under bridges,” Howard told CTV News. “Unfortunately, what they’re not in (is a) home and that’s what we will fix.”
Veterans Affairs Canada estimates there are at least 2,600 homeless veterans in Canada. The Homes for Heroes Foundation estimates there are about 180 homeless veterans in Calgary.
Release ID: 340045