Seniors complex proposing tiny home project in village

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A seniors home in McAdam is planning a tiny house project aimed at helping seniors stay closer to their homes while downsizing and living in a maintenance-free setting.

The McAdam Seniors Housing Complex is proposing to build 30 tiny homes behind its facility on Second Avenue. An information session about the project is being held March 20 at 7 p.m. at the McAdam Lions Club.

Project manager Guy Gravelle, who’s also treasurer of the seniors’ complex, said the tiny homes will have affordable rents for tenants on fixed incomes, with some being subsidized. They’ll also be energy-efficient and equipped with heat pumps, a fridge and stove, and connections for a washer and dryer.

“We’re trying to get some funding from the government for the project right now,” he said. “Instead of seniors living in a big apartment complex where they’re constrained by those four walls, these homes will have one or two bedrooms, a front porch, and a small yard where seniors can plant flowers or have a small garden.”

Since 2022, the non-profit complex has been looking to expand its 10-unit facility, which is at capacity despite a growing list of people looking to move in. Gravelle said that’s where the idea came from for the tiny home community, as housing is hard to come by in the McAdam area and across the province.

Gravelle said the tiny home community will eventually include an activity centre and will be maintained by the complex’s groundskeepers. He said feedback about the project has been mostly positive so far, and a survey conducted last year received more than 100 responses.

“I don’t think we’ll have a problem to fill those 30 houses,” he said.

McAdam Mayor Ken Stannix said the village has received plenty of inquiries about the tiny home project since posting about it on social media Feb. 20, many of which have come from seniors looking to downsize or who can’t afford to maintain their current homes.

“In a lot of cases, these people have worked for most of their lives and are on fixed incomes and can’t carry the bills or aren’t able to keep up their homes anymore,” he said. “They’re looking for an alternative. I think it’s a wonderful idea to develop this project in McAdam.”

The board has been in talks with the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, Gravelle said, and he plans to request funding from the provincial Department of Social Development. He said the project has also been shared with the New Brunswick Non-Profit Housing Association.

“We’re hoping to have lots of people at the information session,” he said. “We believe these tiny homes will offer a better quality of life for seniors and a more affordable option than other living arrangements.”

Social Development spokesperson Kate Wright said the department hasn’t received an application for the McAdam tiny home project yet, but entrepreneurs, non-profit groups and housing co-operatives are encouraged to submit development proposals through the province’s affordable rental housing program.

“Our government recognizes the urgent need for affordable and accessible housing for all New Brunswickers,” she said in an emailed statement. “Housing New Brunswick commends our community partners for stepping up to help meet the unique and varied needs of their communities.”