Millionaire Marcel Lebrun is turning his personal fortune into tiny homes for the homeless with an affordable housing project in New Brunswick, Canada.
After selling his software company, Marcel focused his entrepreneurial skills on addressing homelessness with ‘12 Neighbors,’ a tiny home community in Fredericton.
Designed to provide more than shelter, these houses offer a stable foundation for rebuilding a life. Each residence, although compact, comes with essential living amenities and the dignity of a place to call your own.
With a rental model based on just 30% of residents’ income, the financial barrier to housing is significantly reduced. “They’re all pretty small tiny houses, but they have everything in them,” Lebrun told CBC, ensuring that each space, while modest, is complete.
Safety is a priority, with gated access and security cameras to ensure a safe environment for residents.
The village also fosters a supportive community by providing on-site employment opportunities, empowering residents to find employment within their living space.
The project’s current scope and future goals are ambitious, with plans to increase the number of homes and maintain a steady pace of creation at Lebrun’s factory. Funded by Lebrun’s personal investment and government contributions, 12Neighbors represents a concrete embodiment of faith in action.
Lebrun’s initiative reflects a commitment to love and service, in line with the biblical verse: “Truly, I say to you, whatever you did for one of the least of these my brothers, you did for me!” (Matthew 25,40)