THUNDER BAY — The establishment of a tiny home village on Miles Street near May Street has been delayed.
Alpha Court, a non-profit organization providing subsidized housing and support services to people with mental illness or a drug/alcohol addiction, plans to put 16 transitional housing units on a parking lot at 212 Miles St. East. The project has no connection to the city's shelter village initiative.
Alpha Court was hoping to have the 290-square-foot residences in place by August of this year.
But Nicole Latour, executive director of Alpha Court, now says the organization has encountered some unexpected challenges that have shifted the timeline.
"We're addressing them, and definitely remain committed to seeing this project come to fruition," Latour told Newswatch. "We will probably be looking at the spring, summer of 2026."
She declined to discuss specific reasons for the delay other than to say "it's just getting some necessary contracts solidified."
Financing for the project is not an issue.
Alpha Court has received nearly $4 million for the project from the Ontario government's Homelessness Prevention Program, which is overseen at the local level by the Thuder Bay District Social Services Administration Board.
The organization already owns or rents a number of other housing portfolios in the city.
The project proposed for the Miles Street site will be different from the temporary shelter village the City of Thunder Bay previously considered for a property nearby, at 114 Miles St. East. That location was rejected by council on Monday, in favour of site off Central Ave.
It's designed to be permanent, with all units equipped with full bathrooms, a kitchen and sleeping quarters.
Tenants will pay affordable rent based on the shelter allowance allocated through their respective income support programs.
The targeted population – individuals 18 and older who are chronically homeless – will be selected through the city's Coordinated Housing Access Table.
