United Way Saint John, Kings & Charlotte has signed on to purchase the property and serve as operating agency for the community. This was made possible by the recent unification of seven United Way organizations across the Maritime provinces and the formation of a new regional housing division that will serve central and southwestern New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and mainland Nova Scotia.

The community will be located on land that is nestled in a valley beyond a forested hill off Westmorland Road and sits between Fernhill Cemetery (Westmorland Road), the new Saint John Energy substation and the upper parking lot of TD Insurance (Rothesay Avenue).

The project is estimated to cost approximately $10 million, and United Way Maritimes will seek support from all orders of government, ideally aiming to use the same or similar grants used by 12 Neighbours, to help make it a reality. A special fundraising initiative will help close the gap for costs such as the land purchase, infrastructure, project management, programming and other needs.

The Sunnyside Tiny Home Community will host 75-80 homes, offered as permanent subsidized rentals to those on the "by name" list managed by the Homelessness Information Partnership Saint John. The community will be owned and operated by the United Way of Saint John, Kings & Charlotte.

Donors will play a critical role in the success and sustainability of the Sunnyside community.

If you are interested in making an in-kind or financial contribution, please complete the Get Involved form above and introduce yourself!

The United Way will also be launching a special fundraising initiative to cover costs such as land acquisition, infrastructure and development needs, project management, programming and other needs identified for the community.

This fundraising effort will be a joint effort between United Way, co-leads of the Community Task Force Steve Belyea and David Alston, and other partners.

Land assembly for the project could not have happened without the support of Saint John Energy, who has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with United Way to donate a portion of the land it owns between East Point Way and Fernhill Cemetery to the project. Saint John Energy will also be providing refurbished heat pumps for the homes in the community.

Neighbourly Homes, the 12 Neighbours construction team, will be the project’s construction partner – building and delivering approximately 75 houses for the new community. 

Engineering planning is underway, but the project's next step is to proceed with a rezoning application through the City of Saint John’s Planning Advisory Committee.

Sale closings and long-term lease execution will take place once the rezoning application with the City of Saint John has been finalized and approved.

We will move forward as quickly as possible, based on permitting and approvals with the City and weather conditions.

The Sunnyside Tiny Home Community is an affordable housing initiative that is just one of many projects underway in our city.

Our intention is to create a supportive housing community that maintains long-term affordability and wrap-around supports for tenants who need them. However, we will adapt as necessary to meet the specific needs identified by governments and other service providers.

It's important to note that when affordable housing solutions are introduced at any point along the housing continuum – from emergency shelters to transitional or supportive housing to affordable or subsidized housing – the effect is to relieve pressure on other areas, which frees up supports and services for those who need them most.

The Sunnyside Tiny Home Community is a separate entity, that will be owned and operated by United Way. We will build on the experience and expertise of 12 Neighbours to create a community that responds to and reflects the specific needs of people in Saint John. 

It is likely we will offer services to community members using a slightly different model that is customized to meet the needs of our community and leverages the expertise of local partners.

12 Neighbours is, and will remain, a close and valued partner on this project. They have openly and enthusiastically shared a vast amount of knowledge and documentation that has helped us get up and running, and Neighbourly Homes – the tiny home construction arm of the 12 Neighbours charity – will be our home construction partner going forward.