Statement Supporting the Tiny Homes Village at 502 Twentieth Street

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A Small Village. A Meaningful Step Toward Ending Homelessness in New Westminster.

The New Westminster Homelessness Coalition Society supports the development of a 30-unit tiny homes village at 502 Twentieth Street, being developed by BC Housing in partnership with the City of New Westminster through the Province’s HEART & HEARTH program.

Our vision is a connected and compassionate community where everyone belongs. Projects like this are an important step toward making that vision a reality.

Across British Columbia, communities are working to address rising homelessness with practical, thoughtful solutions grounded in care. In New Westminster, the 2025 Greater Vancouver Point-in-Time Homeless Count identified 217 people experiencing homelessness, including 74 people living outdoors without shelter. These numbers reflect the real and growing need for more housing options that help people move toward stability.

Tiny homes villages are one of those options.

A tiny homes village creates a small, supportive community where people who have experienced homelessness can stabilise, rebuild independence, and prepare for permanent housing. The proposed village will include 30 private homes, shared indoor and outdoor spaces, and 24/7 staffing with wrap-around supports, including meals, health services, life-skills development, and housing support.

This is transitional housing, designed for people ready to take the next step toward stability. Residents are carefully screened to ensure they can live successfully in a small community setting and will be expected to follow agreements that support respectful community living.

Importantly, this project is not a treatment or detox facility. It is housing with supports—part of a broader housing continuum that helps people move from homelessness to permanent homes.

Tiny homes villages have already been successfully implemented in communities such as Kelowna, Duncan, and Victoria. These projects have helped people transition out of encampments and shelters by providing something that is often missing during homelessness: stability, dignity, and connection to support.

The proposed village will be staffed and monitored 24 hours a day by an experienced non-profit housing provider selected by BC Housing. An Operations Management Plan and Neighbourhood Inclusion Table will help ensure the site operates successfully and will provide opportunities for ongoing community dialogue.

The village is proposed as a temporary project for up to six years, while permanent supportive housing is developed in New Westminster. During this time, residents will receive the supports they need to transition to long-term housing.

At the New Westminster Homelessness Coalition Society, our mission is to inform, engage, and advocate to improve the lives of unhoused and at-risk people in our community. Our work is grounded in the belief that everyone deserves compassion and care, and that people should be involved in the decisions that affect their lives.

We also believe that strong communities respond to complex challenges with thoughtfulness, collaboration, and shared responsibility.

This tiny homes village represents an example of local and provincial governments working together to take meaningful action on homelessness while longer-term housing solutions are developed.

As a community, we all benefit when people have access to safe housing, stability, and support.

This project is an important step toward building the connected and compassionate community we all want to see in New Westminster.

But more still needs to be done:

While this project is a necessary response to the urgent need to address homelessness in New Westminster and the broader region, it also underscores the need for greater investment from all levels of government in affordable, accessible, and supportive housing across the housing continuum. Decades of underinvestment in social housing have contributed to the crisis we face today. Substantially increased investment in permanent social housing across the region is essential to reduce homelessness, ease pressure on our healthcare and justice systems, and improve safety and quality of life for all community members.

With sustained investment and community support, we can move beyond short-term responses and build lasting housing solutions for our community. Community understanding and support will be essential as we move forward, and now is the time for our community to come together in support of practical, compassionate solutions that promote stability, dignity, and belonging for everyone in New Westminster.

Jack York, Board Chair, New Westminster Homelessness Coalition Society