Cathy Dobson/The Independent

What’s a tiny home cost? It depends on who you ask.

While neighbours surrounding the Rainbow Park encampment in Sarnia insist a tiny home can be built for as little as $5,000 – and Sarnia Councillor Brian White suggests the cost may actually be $76,000 per unit – Lambton County staff estimate one tiny home costs a whopping $293,000 to $365,000.
That’s more than the price of a single traditional social housing unit that can be built for $265,000 and $348,000, according to Melisa Johnson, Lambton’s housing services manager.

The reason? Economies of scale, says a report she submitted to county council Oct. 16.
Johnson goes on to say that building tiny homes is no faster than building traditional social housing.
With the same construction time, less expense, and more permanency, Johnson recommends that the county sticks to building traditional units only.

She said she based her estimates on what St. Thomas and Lanark County are spending on their tiny home projects.

Sarnia CEO Chris Carter also wrote a report this month that puts the cost of a single tiny home at $50,000 to $80,000. That means construction of 50 of them would require $2.5 million to $4 million.
Carter said he based his information on the experience of Waterloo and Peterborough.

Another $2 to $3 million would be needed for operating expenses, including 24/7 security and social service workers, Carter noted.

f tiny homes are built in Lambton County, it will be at the expense of the construction of other emergency housing, added Ian Hanney, Lambton’s manager of homelessness prevention and social planning.

Construction of a 50-home tiny community could add four per cent to the county tax levy, said Hanney.
“Although transitional tiny houses are an alternative housing solution for some individuals living in encampments, they will not eliminate the encampments and…most likely will increase the number of individuals and families experiencing homelessness in Lambton County,” said Hanney’s report.
Councillor White praised county staff for their opinion.

“I’m like a lot of people who don’t have the answer but I do appreciate (the reports),” White said.
Mayor Mike Bradley said after the meeting that he agrees with county staff that building permanent transitional housing is a better solution than tiny homes.

Bradley raised the issue to county council of neighbourhood complaints related to the Out of the Cold overflow shelter at the former Laurel Lea/St. Matthews Church property on Exmouth Street.

Forty-seven neighbours have sent a petition to community leaders saying they are upset about what they call a general deterioration of the area since the shelter opened in 2023.

“We are seeing open use of drugs, defecation on personal property, loitering, sleeping in hidden crevasses, property damage, and we are living/working in a general state of fear for our safety,” the petition reads. “…Simply put, you have placed the area residents and property owners in a terrible situation, and it is unacceptable.”

New fencing, security sweeps and staff monitoring the exterior of the building is making a difference, Lambton’s social services manager Valerie Colasanti replied to Bradley.

“I know there are challenges but I do feel mitigation has made a huge difference.” She said she and Myles Vanni of the Inn of the Good Shepherd will reply to the petition.

There is also an announcement coming soon from Colasanti’s department related to accommodating couples experiencing homelessness.

“Apparently the county has another site in mind for overflow of the shelters,” said Bradley. “City and county staff are meeting to discuss that location.”