Millionaire builds 99 homes to reduce homelessness in his town
A Canadian millionaire has built 99 'tiny homes' in his town in an attempt to tackle local homelessness.
Marcel LeBrun sold his company for an eight figure sum, and decided to put some of the money towards tackling a serious problem.
In the town of Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada, at least 1,800 people found themselves homeless for at least a day last year according to the CBC.
Aiming to tackle at least a chunk of this problem, he invested $4 million in developing what he calls the '12 Neighbours' gated community, which will ultimately consist of 99 small homes for people to live in.
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While the homes may not be the roomiest in the world, they come with space for a kitchen, bed and bathroom, along with a bit of decking to sit on out front and some solar panels on the roof.
About three-quarters of the way to hitting his target of 99 homes to help tackle homelessness, the 12 Neighbours community has also secured $12 million in government grants to build the place up.
Speaking to CBC, LeBrun explained why he was doing this, with the homes put together at a warehouse before being loaded onto concrete blocks that consist of the building's foundations.
He said: "I see myself as a community builder, and really what we’re doing here is not just building a little community, but we’re building a community in a city, like how do we help our city be better?"
LeBrun believes that having a property will give people a sense of responsibility, and that a community of the formerly homeless will know best what those who are struggling are going through.
The project is not without critics, as some have suggested that it would be better for the homeless if they were re-integrated into society instead of being housed in a gated community together.
In addition to the 99 houses, there are plans for a community centre which will be run by the residents as a business, including a coffee shop.
There will also be a 'teaching kitchen' and a silk printing business where people can work in.
The ultimate idea is to build a place that people from the rest of the town would go to for a cup of coffee or to make use of the printing business.
That's the idea and if it gets people a roof over their heads then surely it can't be a bad thing?
Joe Harker