Семья из Торонто подала в суд на город за 2,8 млн долларов из-за отказа в возмещении расходов на строительство жилья для детей с инвалидностью

Toronto family suing city over housing project for children with disabilities City of Toronto says it's aware of the allegations but won't comment as matter is before the courts For years, Joseph Geraghty and his wife Rhonda have been building a home in North York with one goal in mind: creating a place where their three kids with disabilities can live safely and independently. But Joseph says a dispute with the city of Toronto has turned that vision into a lengthy and costly ordeal. Geraghty and his wife's 28-year-old twin sons are autistic, and their daughter, 31, has a serious seizure condition. With one of their sons on a waitlist for supportive housing for 15 years, with no end date in sight, the couple say they wanted to provide their children with a space where they can have some independence, but still be supervised for their safety. The couple is now suing the city of Toronto for $2.8 million, alleging the city misled them into believing they could be reimbursed for more than $200,000 in planning and development fees paid to build accessible, multi-generational housing for their family. The lawsuit was filed last week. Kayla Lewis, manager of media relations for the City of Toronto, said in a statement the city is aware of the couple's allegations. "The city has no further comment at this time as the matter is before the courts," the statement said. Geraghty said the challenges with the project date back to 2018, when former mayor John Tory was in office. "We presented this case initially to the mayor's office and subsequently to the city itself," he said. "And all indications were that there was a process in place for reimbursement of fees." CBC Toronto has seen email exchanges with city staff indicating there was a process in place for a refund of such fees. In one email, a staff member from Tory's office said if they decide to proceed with the applications, it will attempt to expedite the applications, as well as the process for requesting a refund of the fees from Committee of Adjustment. 'A big disappointment,' father says The couple's statement of claim alleges that city staff instructed them to pay the development and planning fees up front and pursue reimbursement later, but after years of being shuffled between departments, they were told no reimbursement program existed. "Ultimately, the city says that there are no mechanisms in place currently to accommodate these reimbursements, which is a big disappointment for not only our family, but for other families in the same situation," Geraghty said. Geraghty says the project has been ongoing for over five years, and despite some generous donations of materials, he and his wife have had to play the role of contractor and construction crew in order to stay afloat. Asked if the city offers any pathways for families creating accessible housing to obtain relief for planning fees, development charges, permit fees or similar costs, media relations manager Lewis said it continues to support accessibility and inclusion through a range of Council-approved policies, programs and initiatives, including financial incentives available through approved affordable housing programs. There is no clear language in Toronto's official plan about reimbursing planning or development fees for a family building a home for a child with disabilities. The plan does outline a policy that states: "A full range of housing, in terms of form, tenure and affordability, across the City and within neighbourhoods, will be provided and maintained to meet the current and future needs of residents." The family says the official plan commits to relief measures when it says municipal assistance to encourage the production of affordable housing may include "loans and grants, land at or below market rates, fees and property tax exemptions, rent supplement and other appropriate assistance." "At no point in our communication were we ever told that our project was ineligible for reimbursement," Geraghty says. Families struggling provincewide: autism coalition According to the Ontario Autism Coalition, families across the province face years-long waitlists for government-funded housing, and end up making huge financial sacrifices to ensure their adult children have a safe place to live. "It's basically like you're saving for your own retirement, and your child's," said Bruce McIntosh, president of the coalition. "The waitlists in some places are infinite. Over the last 15 years, it's become increasingly difficult to the point where now it's no longer a problem in just rural areas. It's happening in Toronto as well," he said. McIntosh says all levels of government need to step up funding to support families of children with disabilities. - Accessibility gaps at Eglinton Crosstown stations are limiting some riders, advocates say - Ontario cities need help — and cash — to meet 2025 accessibility deadline, advocates say For its part, Ontario's Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services says the government is making "record investments" to ensure families receive the support they need, including nearly $4 billion in developmental services this year, an increase of nearly $1.6 billion since 2018. "This includes nearly $220 million from the 2026 Budget to better support people with developmental disabilities," said ministry spokesperson Julia Lombardo. The statement adds that the province has increased Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) rates by 20 per cent since September 2022, with future increases tied to inflation. Meanwhile, Geraghty and his wife's experience with construction, permits and creating spaces for family members with disabilities has prompted them to create The Legacy Building Project, a non-profit aimed to support families in similar situations. "It's a long-term project and process of trying to build awareness and help other families through the same situation so that there's hope, and light at the end of the tunnel," he said.