Lower Mainland's First Tiny-Home Village to Open in New Westminster, Province Says

BC Housing is proposing a temporary 30‑unit tiny‑home village at 502 20th Street in New Westminster, using repurposed shipping containers from Victoria’s Caledonia Place, and the agency expects those units to arrive by sea on March 9, to be renovated on site before anyone moves in. Naomi Brunemeyer, BC Housing’s Director of Regional Development for the Lower Mainland, told city council, "The homes are on their way by ferry right now."

The project is part of the province’s HEART and HEARTH Phase 2 encampment response, and New Westminster was named among seven communities invited into that phase during the Feb. 9 provincial announcement. Housing Minister Christine Boyle described the model to reporters, saying, "Staff will be on site every day to help residents with daily meals, with life skills training, healthcare, addiction recovery services and more," and that the site would connect people with off‑site resources "to help them move further along their health and recovery journey."

BC Housing materials presented to council list the location as an industrial parcel on River Drive at the end of a row of homes, adjacent to a rail yard and near the Queensborough Bridge and the BC Parkway, about a 15‑minute walk from the 22nd Street SkyTrain station. City officials and BC Housing slides set a target to have the village operational before the next winter, with presentation materials variously showing a goal of fall 2026 or by the end of the year.

New Westminster’s mayor, Patrick Johnstone, told council the project fits within the city’s Official Community Plan and therefore did not require rezoning, and he defended the support model, saying, "It's really a self-contained little village. They have all the supports they need on site. You know, there is already three meals a day. There is some non-clinical support, there is staff on site," and adding, "It's really a village of people who build a community."

Council was asked to receive a staff report for information rather than to approve the proposal. Councillor Paul Minhas moved that the city require a Good Neighbour Agreement for the project; city staffer Hanieh Berg reminded council by email of the Community Charter rule that "The Community Charter does not permit members of council to abstain for a vote. In the event a member of council doesn’t indicate whether they are in favour or against a motion, they are deemed to have voted in the affirmative."

Nearby residents expressed surprise and opposition at the River Drive site choice. Barb Quon, who lives down the street, said, "They should not put these homes in residential area, especially in a dead-end street ... there's going to be mayhem down here." Daniel Millar, another neighbour, said, "We’ve lived in places with these problems before, and it's not necessarily a good thing."

BC Housing has told the city the repurposed units served as transitional housing at Victoria’s Caledonia Place and were intended to help people move from shelters into permanent housing; the agency and provincial officials say the New Westminster site will offer on‑site supports to stabilize residents. With containers arriving by sea in early March and site preparation and renovations still required, BC Housing’s stated goal of opening before winter will hinge on the pace of site work and the negotiation of community safeguards such as the proposed Good Neighbour Agreement.