A man who was building tiny homes for people experiencing homelessness in Toronto has been told to remove the structures from city property by today.
Ryan Donais began constructing the small structures last year, before starting his Tiny Tiny Homes non-profit so he could build more.
But city staff have instructed the good samaritan to dismantle the units.
“The owner has been asked to coordinate removal of the structures,” the city told Now Toronto in a statement on Friday.”
Under municipal bylaws, structures are not permitted in any city park or on sidewalks, the city told Now, adding that it did not permit Donais’s project to go ahead.
“These structures, which have not been approved by the city, create potential safety risks for those living in them and those living in the surrounding area,” it added.
The city says the structures also interfere with the public’s ability to use the park and its outreach work with people currently living in encampments.
Donais has over ten years of experience in the construction industry and told Now Toronto in January that he built each portable tiny home with safety as a top priority.
Read More
Each unit, which comes equipped with a bicycle for mobility, comes with solar-powered electricity, furnaces for heating, and running water.
Donais also ensured that units contain smoke detectors and fire extinguishers to prevent fire hazards.
In a TikTok video shared on Thursday, Donais said he met with city council staff to discuss ways to keep his initiative up and running.
“We thought the meeting had gone well, but the other day, I received this letter from the city council, in it they told us our shelters could not stay on city property,” he says.
Since the city ordered the shutdown of the project over 20,000 people have signed a petition calling on Mayor Chow to choose compassion over hostility.
“Of all days, Toronto City Council has set a February 14 deadline—a day meant for love and compassion—for Tiny Tiny Homes to respond to its letter or additional action would be taken. This deadline places vulnerable individuals—including a woman, a disabled cancer patient, and someone suffering from PTSD, whose symptoms make overcrowded shelters unsafe for them—at risk of further displacement without an immediate, viable solution,” the petition reads.
The city says if steps are not taken to remove the structures it will consider next steps as appropriate.
