Tiny Homes Offer Shelter, But City Pushback Threatens Stability
- Brianna Tota
- Jun 19
- 1 min read
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.
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