Source From: The Hamilton Spectator
Local non-profit In My Backyard (IMBY) is building its pilot tiny home at a North End property.
It’s 429 square feet, has a full kitchen and plenty of outdoor space, and costs $1,000 a month to rent. This one-bedroom tiny home in a Hamilton backyard even has its own address.
A new affordable housing initiative is helping to fix the housing crisis one backyard at a time.
“The goal is to create affordable housing options for those who are most vulnerable to becoming homeless,” said Siobhan Koch, co-founder of local non-profit In My Backyard (IMBY). “Who is most vulnerable or precariously housed now, and how do we keep them from becoming houseless?”
Outside of the first project by Hamilton organization In My Backyard (IMBY). This one-bedroom geared-to-income home was built in Kayla and Josiah Witt’s backyard on John Street North.
Cathie Coward The Hamilton Spectator
The organization’s first project, a secondary dwelling unit in a North End backyard, will be move-in ready later.
Since buying their John Street North home, homeowners Josiah and Kayla Witt have dreamed of using their large property, which was mostly empty and “a bit of a mess,” for good.
“We knew we wanted to build something back here,” Josiah said. “We didn’t need all of the space.”
Now, a small, blue structure takes up about half of the yard, leaving plenty of room for their dog and a garden. By the end of the month, the home will be move-in ready.
The first tenant, a refugee from Sudan who has been living with family members, will live independently on their property, sharing outdoor space and an occasional meal, something the organization suggests.
“We’re on some level all connected to each other and dependent on each other,” said Josiah.
The pilot took months to build with many learning curves along the way, the IMBY team said. Including permits, appliances and architect designs, which IMBY helps homeowners navigate, the home cost about $150,000 to build, about half what it would typically cost thanks to volunteers and donated supplies, as well as discounted and at-cost materials.
In this photo the view from the bedroom into the kitchen and living room in the first home built by Hamilton organization In My Backyard (IMBY).
Cathie Coward The Hamilton Spectator
Bright with large windows, the home consists of an open-concept kitchen and sitting room, adjacent to the front door, which opens onto a sunny deck. At the back is a spacious bedroom painted a trendy dark grey of the tenant’s choosing with a storage loft. A narrow hallway separating the two has a small closet and laundry.
In this photo a well-lit bedroom with storage loft in the first home built by Hamilton organization In My Backyard (IMBY).
Cathie Coward The Hamilton Spectator
Meanwhile, the organization has already begun work on two other builds, including in the city’s east end and a multi-unit home for women fleeing domestic violence.
IMBY says they’re exploring other housing options, including living space above garages and collaborations with organizations in the region.
Their work sometimes feels like “such a small drop in the bucket,” Siobhan said, but they hope their perfected “recipe” is one others can replicate in their own communities.
Volunteer contractor Widmark Albert of Albert Renovations tiles the bathroom shower in the first home built by Hamilton organization In My Backyard (IMBY).
Cathie Coward The Hamilton Spectator
Through IMBY, homeowners benefit from having their building costs reduced by between 40 and 50 per cent as a result of donated materials and volunteers. In return, rent must be affordable — no more than 30 per cent of a tenant’s income, ranging from $100 to $1,000 a month — and offered for a minimum of 10 years.
Though bound by a standard rental agreement, landlords and tenants are encouraged to develop a more personal relationship. Combatting loneliness and setting vulnerable people up for success is part of IMBY’s goal.
Together, homeowner and tenant participate in a six-part training on community living, with an optional module for tenants on financial literacy, as part of the program.
IMBY looks for homeowners who have a desire to address the housing crisis and are interested in communal living, a concept with which local co-founders Siobhan, husband Timo Koch and sister Alicia Wilson, who share their North End home with several others, are familiar.
Similarly, IMBY works with community agencies to identify clients who might be a good fit for the program. Those vulnerable to homelessness include newcomers, refugees, single parents and kids aging out of the foster-care system.
“We really think that that idea of hospitality, mutuality, understanding the differences in one another create a really beautiful community,” Siobhan said. “Our hope is that people look at this as a new way of living.”
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