
DESCRIPTION
Two Steps Home (2SH) is proposing a replicable Cabin Community of micro-shelters, deployed as a nimble “meanwhile use” on vacant municipal land across the GTA. Backed by $1.0M in capital funding, a completed prototype cabin, and support from shelter operators, 2SH is ready to launch a pilot. Cabin Communities cluster transitional micro-shelters around shared kitchen and washroom hubs, with onsite supports that help people stabilize. These fast-to-deploy, low-capital structures are temporary by design and won’t slow the construction of modular, supportive, or rent-geared-to-income housing. When permanent development begins, the entire community can be relocated with residents in a single day. This model helps municipalities guide people from encampments into safe, dignified shelter at a fraction of hotel costs, with better outcomes proven across Ontario. 2SH is seeking capital partners, a suitable parcel of land, council support, expedited utility connections, and a two-year commitment from local operators. With these pieces in place, a pilot can be operating within seven months.
DETAILS
Property Id
Phase
Development
Affordability Framework
Rent geared to shelter component of a resident's ODSP or OW subsidy
Target Completion Date
2026
Total Project Cost
$4,000,000
Total Units
50
Affordable Units
50
Populations Served
Homelessness
Project Funding
Funding Required
$3,000,000 for the remainder of the capital (construction & site work) cost for a pilot Two Steps Home community.
Funds Raised
$1,000,000 pledged by funding partners, along with ~$50,000 for initial feasibility studies & architectural design.
Use of funds
These funds would be used to build a 50-unit Cabin Community, including the cabins, all common spaces, and site work. If the initial site becomes ready for long-term development, the community can be picked up and relocated to a new site, where all cabins can be repeatedly reused. These cabins will allow an initial 50 people living in encampments (and future cohorts of residents thereafter) with the opportunity to decompress, stabilize their lives, build life skills, and become ready for long-term housing.
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