Tiny Homes Offer Shelter, But City Pushback Threatens Stability

Toronto’s growing homelessness crisis has prompted citizens like Ryan Donais, founder of Tiny Tiny Homes, to take matters into their own hands. Donais, a construction worker, began building portable emergency shelters last year in response to the increase in encampments. Each fibreglass unit includes a bed, a small kitchen, solar-powered lighting, and heating — providing crucial refuge from the cold for people like Samu Nauel, a refugee who received his tiny home key the same day his asylum application was approved.

Despite their benefits, the City of Toronto has ordered the removal of five such tiny shelters currently stationed in St. James Park, citing safety concerns and interference with public use of city property. While the city is exploring the feasibility of micro shelters in future housing strategies, they are not currently permitted on public land.

Advocates warn this action could push vulnerable individuals back into tents or onto unsafe streets. Over 22,000 people have signed a petition urging the city to find alternative locations for the shelters, emphasizing that displacing these structures does not solve homelessness.

Supporters, including outreach worker Diana Chan McNally and Engage and Change founder Jody Steinhauer, stress that tiny homes are low-cost, quick-to-deploy interim solutions in a system where shelters are often full and unsafe. They call for a designated space — a “trailer park” model with wraparound services — to support recovery, stability, and dignity for unhoused people.

As of now, the shelters remain in the park, adorned with red and purple heart stickers — a symbol of hope amidst bureaucratic uncertainty.

For more information, visit: https://toronto.citynews.ca/2025/02/14/city-of-toronto-asks-builder-of-tiny-homeless-shelters-to-remove-them-from-park/

Expanding Supportive Housing Beyond Walls: UHN’s Dunn House Model Grows

The University Health Network (UHN) has announced a $2-million expansion of its social medicine program aimed at helping unhoused individuals who frequently visit emergency rooms. This builds on the success of Dunn House, a Parkdale-based supportive housing site that has provided health care, social services, and stable housing to 51 people with complex needs.

Unlike traditional models that rely on constructing new housing, this expansion brings portable supports — such as psychiatric care, nursing, and personal support services — directly into existing housing across Toronto. The model skips the time-consuming construction process and accelerates aid delivery to people in urgent need, particularly older adults.

The expansion, in partnership with LOFT Community Services, will support up to 100 individuals transitioning out of shelters, encampments, or hospitals into long-term housing. These individuals are selected based on city-held data and medical/social complexity, with a focus on frequent ER users.

This shift in strategy comes at a time of crisis: over 28,000 people remain on Toronto’s supportive housing waitlist, and the median age of death for unhoused individuals remains tragically low — 36 for women and 50 for men, as of 2024.

The approach will also undergo academic evaluation through a study led by Dr. Vicky Stergiopoulos at CAMH, ensuring data-backed advocacy for long-term scalability.

For more information about UHN’s supportive housing initiatives, visit: https://www.toronto.ca/community-people/housing-shelter/affordable-housing-developments/map-of-affordable-housing-locations/90-dunn-ave/

The Importance of Gendered Housing Options

An individual’s gender is a large factor that can play a role in their safety and security as they explore different affordable housing options. Oftentimes survivors of trauma–particularly sexual violence–may prefer gender-segregated spaces to maintain their emotional security. To others, gendered spaces can offer a higher level of privacy and comfort especially in shared living spaces like bathrooms and dormitories. There are also many cultures and religions that have specific guidelines about gendered living arrangements, so providing opportunities to abide by these traditions improves the inclusivity of these spaces. Additionally, gendered shelters can specifically tailor their services and aid to address the issues that are prevalent among their residents. It is important to have gendered living arrangements that are accessible to all members of the unhoused committee, because while some individuals might not have a preference, creating this opportunity for those who are seeking it is paramount.

For more information on this issue you can visit this report

https://www.ahuri.edu.au/research/final-reports/415