Tiny Homes, Big Impact

St. Joseph’s Health Care London (St. Joseph’s) is building on its legacy of caring for veterans. This time by working with Homes for Heroes to support veterans who find themselves without a home.

In collaboration with the City of London and the Homes For Heroes Foundation (H4HF), St. Joseph’s has provided land to build tiny homes at Parkwood Institute for unhoused veterans. Construction is set to begin this fall.  

The project, referred to as the London Veterans Village, will feature 25 tiny homes, arranged in an inward facing ‘barracks format’ to encourage peer-to-peer support, a garden, recreation space, resource centre and on-site social services.

“Veterans are near and dear to our hearts,” says Sandy Jansen, Vice President of Patient Care and Risk Management at St. Joseph’s. “It is truly an honour for us to play a part bringing the London Veterans Village to our community.”

St. Joseph’s already supports veterans through its Veterans Care Program (VCP) and Operational Stress Injury (OSI) Clinic. The VCP offers long-term care and outpatient services to eligible individuals while the OSI Clinic treats operational stress injuries through individual therapy, group therapy, medication and education.

“This isn’t just about changing their lives, in some cases we’re saving their lives.” 
-Brad Field, CEO, Homes for Heroes Foundation

The Homes For Heroes project builds on that mission. And with an estimated 100 to 150 unhoused veterans in London, the need is clear.

But H4HF is more than just housing. It helps veterans regain their independence and achieve stability by providing mental health support, employment assistance, financial literacy and other life skills.

Brad Field, Foundation CEO says the organization is very intentional in helping veterans.

“This isn’t just about changing their lives, in some cases we’re saving their lives,” says Field. “When you hear their stories and what they have experienced, it’s heartbreaking. Some of these veterans have thought about taking their own lives. Homes For Heroes gives them hope and with the right support, recovery is possible.”

Field praised London and St. Joseph’s for welcoming Homes For Heroes with open arms for making nearly two acres of land available for this village.  

“It wasn’t just lip service here,” explains Field. “London has been one of the most supportive communities we’ve worked with.”

Homes For Heroes is also intentional about who is housed in the Veterans Village. They must be motivated to improve their lives, pay nominal rent and live independently in their tiny homes.  

“We would be doing them a disservice if we sent them out into the world without the tools to live on their own,” says Field. “There has to be skin in the game for them.”

Location Significance

The location of the tiny homes also aligns with our history. They will be located on Western Counties Road, the historic site of convalescent care for veterans in London after World War II and home to the original Western Counties pavilions.  

“Of the three locations we considered, this one made the most sense and was also most meaningful to our history,” says Jansen.