The CEO of Toronto Community Housing apologizes to residents who were evicted from their urban housing complex after the ceiling collapsed nearly two weeks ago.
“We regret the incident on May 27 and at a town hall meeting tonight I will apologize to the Swansea Muse community for the disturbances they experienced and the tensions it caused,” TCH President and CEO Jag Sharma said in a statement. Tuesday night.
He said the situation was “developing rapidly” and that the corporation’s focus “continues to protect the safety of tenants”.
A female tenant was seriously injured after a concrete ceiling panel collapsed in a townhouse bedroom in the complex, located near Windermere Avenue and The Queensway.
TCH initially evacuated part of the complex and said tenants from other parts of the facility who felt insecure could also be relocated to temporary accommodation. But the agency said Monday that all tenants in the complex have been informed they will have to leave their homes temporarily while additional safety tests are conducted.
A report by a civil engineer found that the cause of the collapse dates back to the construction of the building and that routine inspections would not identify the problem. The report calls for further tests to determine the extent of the problem.
Tenants are housed on post-secondary campuses in the city and in nearby hotels.
At the time of the incident, there were 113 occupied premises in the complex, and at least 25 households have already been moved to temporary accommodation.
Mayor John Torrey met with Sharma on Monday to discuss the situation. His office called the incident “unacceptable” and said the city would work with TCH to ensure residents are informed of developments.
The Tory office said the city was working to complete repairs to TCH’s facilities, but said it would take years to complete due to “decades of neglect”.
In a statement Tuesday, Sharma said he plans to hear residents at a community meeting on Tuesday night to work out appropriate plans for their accommodation while tests are underway.
“We will question any assumptions and consider each option until we can fix it so that Swansea Muse residents can live in the comfort and safety they deserve,” Sharma said.
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