It’s been a dream years in the making but now Ryan Donais has found a piece of land in Scarborough where he can build a micro-shelter community.
Donais is the Executive Director of Tiny Tiny Homes, a charity that builds mini houses that act as a transitional space allowing individuals to move from the streets into permanent housing.
“I still don’t believe it. I’m still in shock and awe that this is actually happening,” Donais tells CityNews.
Donais says the plan is to have 10 of the micro homes and a large trailer that will act as a common area built on the site. There will also be separate washrooms and on-site staff and each of the 10 pet-friendly units will come with a bed, microwave, fridge and some storage space.
The private plot of land sits behind a family-run bakery in the Main Street and Danforth Avenue area whose owners offered to lease it to Tiny Tiny Homes for $1 a year for three years.
“We saw it as space that we just had and if we weren’t going to use it for a bigger purpose then we wanted to kind of give it to someone else who would,” said Sefonias Samuel, CEO of Sefonias Catering.
The charity estimates the total cost of the project to be $350,000, though the aim is to have it entirely funded by private donations. In the month since getting started, multiple companies and individuals have donated materials and volunteered labour to help get it off the ground.
“The reaction has been absolutely heartwarming,” said Donais. “The amount of people who have stepped up and amount of companies who have stepped up and donated it’s incredible.”
Donais adds that nearby residents have been supportive and are aware of what they’re building.
City officials tell CityNews they are investigating the Scarborough project, and that, “Appropriate action(s) will be determined based on the findings and applicable legislative requirements.”
Earlier this year, the City of Toronto collected submissions from organizations willing to run a micro shelter site as part of a potential pilot project to help address homelessness. A spokesperson says those applications are still under review. Donais was among the those who applied to be part of the program.
“We haven’t officially heard back from the city yet. We’d be excited to work with the city, but at the moment, we’re progressing forward,” he said.
Donais says he hopes to have the Scarborough project up and running within a few months before the harsh winter weather arrives.
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