Toronto housing: Can 'Tiny Tiny Homes' attached to bikes solve Toronto's homelessness crisis?

A Toronto man is the latest private citizen who is attempting to tackle the homelessness crisis with a "wheelie" inventive idea. Ryan Donais has created a prototype of a portable home attached to a bicycle he is calling Tiny Tiny Homes. They are intended to give unhoused people the autonomy and freedom to move around and live comfortably.

Donais’s idea for his project was inspired by Khaleel Seivwright, a carpenter who built wooden shelters in Toronto in the earlier years of the COVID-19 pandemic. Donais says he consulted with Seivwright to get clues on how to improve the design to meet the needs of eventual users.

“I liked the idea that he was building shelters but I saw ways that he could improve,” he tells Yahoo Canada. “I thought I’d give it a shot and make my own.”

Instead of using wooden plywood, like Seivwright, Donais used materials he says are weather-proof, like fibreglass panels and aluminium corner trims. He also attached his Tiny Tiny Home to a bike, making it mobile, whereas Seivwright’s homes had to be moved by several people.

“If they happen to wear out their welcome where they’re at, they can move along,” he says. “You can’t move a tent along, you can’t move an encampment along. You can’t just pack up a tent and leave.”

Builder uses his own money to create prototype: 'I have to find someone to help build it'

Donais, who has a background in construction, says he was eager to do something in the face of the housing crisis. He wanted to build a mobile space with power and a locked door that could be used as an alternative to tents. So he set out to build something for people that would be safe and secure to sleep in.

So far he's invested $5,000 of his own money into the project and took his own time — over the course of eight Saturdays — to build the prototype. Donais has been taking his model to parks and neighbourhoods where encampments have popped up, so he can inform the public about his initiative and begin crowdfunding to build more.  

“Since my best customer has no money, I have to find someone to help build it,” he says.

The inside of the Tiny Tiny Home includes a sofa, which folds down into a bed, with storage underneath. There’s also a butane cooktop, a fire and carbon monoxide detector, a fire extinguisher, and 200 watts of solar that powers a lithium battery, which runs the lights, fan and power inside.

While his current model has a microwave, Donais won’t include that in future builds as it adds a lot of extra costs. He also plans to put in a diesel furnace so the space is liveable in the winter months.

As for a bathroom, the storage holds a portable toilet known as a luggable loo, which is lined with a compostable bag. Donais says a powder can be added to the bag to turn liquids into gel.

“It’s not meant for full time use but if it’s 2 in the morning and you got to do your business, it’s there,” he says.

When it comes to the people who would be using his mobile home, Donais says he’d ideally like to donate it to people who can "maintain simple things for (themselves), so (they) can maintain a place."

"I don’t think it’s a fit for everyone," he says. “It has to be the right individuals, not someone who’s going to sell it or throw it away,”

Donais says he'd like to meet with City representatives to ensure his idea doesn’t face any potential legal challenges.

City of Toronto exploring use of micro-shelters

In an email statement, Elise von Scheel, senior communications advisor with the City of Toronto, says the guidelines informing the use and operation of such a structure would have to be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

It would need to take into consideration multiple factors, including whether the owner and operator has relevant permits and if the location meets the applicable zoning bylaws.

She added that the City is working to address the need for rapid shelter programs and is exploring the use of micro-shelters on vacant or under-utilized City-owned land.

"The City continues to prioritize efforts to rapidly build new supportive and affordable homes on City-owned land, including using innovative construction methods such as modular housing."

Since April 2020, the City has helped leverage prefabricated modular housing for 200 people, with another such 115 units set to open this fall. Modular homes are units that are built in a factory and then transported to a site to be assembled.

Expert doesn't think Tiny Tiny Homes are 'solution to the homeless problem'

Fred Victor, a charity that focuses on homelessness issues, found that on any given night in Toronto, there are more than 10,000 experiencing homelessness.

One expert says while Donais’ heart is in the right place, his project might cause more problems than good.

Frank Clayton is a senior research fellow at the Centre for Urban Research and Land Development with Toronto Metropolitan University. He says Donais's Tiny Tiny Homes have the potential to take up more public space.

“It’s great that people are coming up with ideas,” he says. “But what he’s essentially doing is minimizing space, and building lower quality than you would with a building, so the costs are lower. You can’t accommodate more people if you have smaller spaces.”

Clayton points to the municipality of Hamilton, Ont., which had issues earlier this year in the uptick of RVs in public parking lots.

“I think housing has to stay put,” he says. “ It can be temporary housing that can be moved, like mobile homes. But I don’t think (Donais’ mobile homes) are going to be the solution to the homeless problem. “

Clayton says Paris’ micro apartments — which can be as small as 130 square feet — are a good example of affordable builds that provide proper housing.

“I’m more interested in people who come up with ideas for apartments that have smaller space,” he says.

Clayton also points to a successful model of small homes in Kitchener, Ont.

Known as A Better Tent City (ABTC), the community-based approach to housing was founded on an industrial lot as a potential solution to the growing number of encampments. There, about 50 people live in cabins, with access to washing and laundry facilities, meals and social services.

In May, a Toronto group called Two Steps Home and SvN Architects debuted a prototype cabin, which is intended for a similar initiative as ABTC.

Donais isn't the first Toronto citizen to initiative a personal project aimed at curbing homelessness in the city.

In July, developer Arjun Sahjpaul launched Respitely, an app that helps people access information about available shelter beds and meals in the city.