Operational Plan

The physical environment of LBC’s cabin community is important to help residents, staff and the local community feel safe. In keeping with trauma informed principles,

LBC will strive to:

• Keep common areas, bathrooms, and doorways well lit;

• Ensure people are not allowed to smoke, loiter, or congregate outside doorways;

• Monitor who is engaging with the cabin community;

• Ensure LBC staff are onsite 24/7;

• Ensure people with mobility challenges can engage in all areas of the cabin community;

• Keep noise levels in common areas low;

• Use welcoming language on all signage; and

• Make sure residents have clear access to the door in common areas, and can easily exit if desired.

Location

Location-location, this is the greatest hurdle to any cabin community throughout North America. Research from many other communities indicate that a location outside of the downtown core is more beneficial to the residents of the community, providing some transportation to and from town can be arranged a couple of times per day. LBC hopes that many service providers, social workers, and counsellors will choose to come to the site and utilize the two meeting rooms allocated. Some residents will need to receive medical treatments and other appointments. A transportation agreement with Bancroft Community Transit will need to be established.

When a location is determined, the rest of the budgeting and planning for this proposal can be calculated and presented in the next revision of this document. A local organization has been approached to consider a 'land-use' agreement for a period of 10 years. This too is crucial, as many tiny villages have to be built to be moveable, as commitment to land use for any length of time is difficult to establish. The project needs time, the residents need time and the housing crisis is far from over.

Wherever the location is, land clearing and infrastructure will be required; water, septic, electricity, propane, roadway and parking. Costs for this cannont be deterimined until a location is established.

Site Layout

The entire cabin community is designed to be wheelchair/walker accessible, by use of a deck structure that connects all the cabins to the community building. One ramp will be required from the parking lot to the deck, which leads to all the buildings. The deck will eliminate the need for separate ramps and also help with snow removal, etc.

Through research of other communities, a Community Building is optimal (many villages built without, wish they had of built this building). Other villages find this model to work well in creating and maintaining the community. This building will house a kitchen, showers, washrooms, laundry, maintenance room, lounge, dining area, office, computer room and two meeting rooms. There will also be an outdoor bbq/picnic area. This model allows for a central location for plumbing, propane, electricity and septic.

The Cabins

The cabins are designed to be 8'x16', well insulated and locally built. LBC would like to involve local builders, volunteers and students to take part in the construction of the 20 cabins. Each cabin will be alike and include a bed w/storage, a wardrobe, a mini fridge and a microwave.

• To accommodate mobility devices, the cabin doors will be 36 inches wide and doorway thresholds level to the deck which leads to the Community Building. Two (size) windows will allow for fire egress and natural light. Each cabin will be equipped with a 20 amp circuit, 4 20 amp receptacles, an internal light, external light, tamper proof smoke and carbon monoxide detector, air exchanger, propane heater, circuit breaker and fire extinguisher.

LBC will consult with occupational therapists to furnish each cabin in accordance with the accessibilty needs. This may include efforts like installing custom sleeping platforms at an accessible height to enable safe and easy transfers between bed and mobility devices, and installing fixed assistive devices within the cabin.

Community Building

The Community Building is the 'hub' where the residents can be part of a community that works together to benefit each other. This building is crucial to being able to 'walk alongside' those affected by poverty or homelessness. The community building will be where support services can be given to each resident as they choose to engage.

The Community Building will include:

• 3 separate washrooms (design could be reduced to 2)

• showers (diagram shows 2 sets of 3 communal, but will be changed to reflect 3 totally private showers)

• A fully operational kitchen with fridge, freezer, stove, dishwasher, microwave and sink

• Laundry room with 2 washers & dryers, ironing board, etc.

• Lounge with TV, couches, chairs, small tables, books, etc

• Dining area large enough for all 20 residents to eat together 2 private meeting/quiet rooms

• Computer/Internet room

• Staff office

• Maintenance room with propane furnace, water heaters, electrical panels, etc.

• Outdoor bbq/picnic area

The indoor common areas will only be accessible by the cabin community residents, LBC staff, registered service provider representatives, and registered volunteers. Cabin community residents will be encouraged to design and decorate the common space to make it feel comfortable, and will be given frequent opportunities to suggest improvements to common areas.