Speaking during a technical briefing Monday afternoon, Housing CEO Jag Sharma said they have lined up temporary accommodation at a number of high schools and hotels for residents and are in the process of securing long-term options for them.
However, no timetable has yet been set for the tenants to return to their homes.
It all comes from an incident on May 27, when a concrete roof panel in a bedroom fell and seriously injured a woman.
This collapse prompted TCHC to temporarily relocate a number of nearby tenants.  Anyone who felt insecure could also ask to move.
Days later, the housing provider learned that the issue was more widespread than previously thought and announced that all the occupants of the complex should be removed in order to make further assessments and repairs.
On June 12, the city of Toronto, based on reports from third-party engineers, went a step further and issued to the TCHC an “Order for the Restoration of Unsafe Buildings” that prohibits the occupation of the West End.
Will Johnston, Toronto’s Chief Building Officer, said the city has a responsibility to act as defects found in prefabricated slabs used to build the complex pose an “immediate danger”.
“The longer people stay, the greater the risk,” Johnston said, adding that he hoped residents would comply with the emergency order and “leave on their own.”
He said this emergency order “outweighs” any eviction notice issued by the Ontario Landlords and Tenants Council and anyone who chooses not to comply could be taken to court.
The Parkdale Legal Clinic, which assists tenants throughout this process, refutes this claim.
“The Lease Act (RTA) states that leases can only be terminated in accordance with the RTA, which is either by agreement, abandonment, or by order of the Landlord and Tenant,” wrote Samuel Mason’s attorney at letter of 13 June.  .
“No provision of the Building Code (which is the basis for the Extraordinary Order) can circumvent the term of office security provided by the RTA.  “We have informed Swansea Mews tenants of their legal right to remain in their units.”
Mason said the temporary relocation arrangements offered so far were “inadequate” and do not offer tenants a “similar quality of life” and do not take into account their family composition, including children’s access to schools.
“Tenants are reasonably concerned about the condition of the temporary accommodation, as TCH has not given any assurance about the expected return date,” he said, adding that tenants should not be “bothered to willingly accept inadequate and unacceptable alternative accommodation for themselves.” and their families. “
Sharma said he finds the relocation “incredibly annoying and troublesome” for tenants and is committed to doing everything he can to help them in the short and long term.
Assuring people that their rental at Swansea Mews would not be jeopardized, he said several temporary accommodation had been arranged at the site along with support for the complex’s approximately 420 residents.  Suitable three- and four-bedroom units for residents to stay in for extended periods of time are also in the process, Sharma said, adding that it also promised to provide residents with as much information as possible and answer any questions they may have.  May have.
Noah Slater, senior chief financial officer at TCHC, said what happened at Swansea Mews was a “spontaneous, sudden, fragile failure.”
He said that after the roof collapsed, the support base was installed, followed by two types of tests: electromagnetic scans and a more destructive forging method.
Engineers advised testing each panel in each unit, as 3 of the 14 such boards were found to be defective, Slater said, adding that they are now in the process of examining the properties of their portfolio to see if others need to be evaluated.
This state of emergency comes just months before TCHC plans to issue a request for proposals in 2023 for a $ 30 million Swansea Mews revitalization.
“This is heartbreaking on all levels,” Slater said.