Toronto City Officials Sue Man Building Tiny Shelters For Homeless
Instead of praising or partnering with Khaleel Seivwright, a Toronto carpenter who’s been building tiny shelters for the homeless, City officials have opted to sue him for building on their property. While putting his skills to use for the greater good, and using the $200K+ donations received for his project, Seivwright been building temporary shelters around the city for the past few months. Each home also includes fire and carbon monoxide detectors and fire extinguishers.
Seivwright’s objective was to provide temporary relief and safety for Toronto’s unhoused during the cold, winter months. He says, “Encampment residents tell me how important the tiny shelters have been—for safety, for privacy, for dignity. I hope there will be a day that the tiny shelters are no longer needed, but that day has not yet come.” However, on February 12, the City of Toronto filed paperwork with the Superior Court, claiming Seivwright build these homemade shelters on city property. In their order, they request a permanent restraining order against Seivwright, legally stopping him from “placing and/or relocating structures on City-owned land.”
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Responding, he says, “Instead of working with me, the City sued to stop me from building and relocating the tiny shelters. This is a distraction. The problem is not the tiny shelters. The problem is that Toronto’s most vulnerable people are falling through the cracks.” Meanwhile, the City claims, “[We] remain focused on the safety of those in encampments and referring clients sleeping outdoors into safe indoor spaces.” As the Superior Court moves forward with the City, Seivwright’s legal team plans to fight the suit.
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The structures are not legal dwellings and the City’s Parks Bylaw and Streets Use Bylaw prohibit camping and placing tents or structures on City property. The injunction application was filed by the City with the Superior Court of Justice on February 12, 2021.
— City of Toronto (@cityoftoronto) February 19, 2021
The City’s operating divisions have serious safety concerns with these structures and determined it was necessary to ask the courts to order that construction, illegal placement and/or relocation of these structures on City property be halted.
— City of Toronto (@cityoftoronto) February 19, 2021
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