The five-member jury who has spent two weeks listening about the life and death of Attila Csanyi — the 28-year-old man who died of an overdose on the rooftop of Jackson Square in 2020 — will now have to decide what recommendations, if any, should be made to prevent future deaths.
The inquest began on April 30 and has heard from Csanyi’s family, experts and witnesses, including from the city and health-care providers.
It detailed Csanyi’s close bond with his twin brother, his traumatic childhood, how he excelled under the care of a loving foster family and how he eventually developed schizophrenia and substance use issues.
It also put a spotlight on how homelessness drastically reduces someone’s lifespan and his challenges living at a local residential care facility, Sampaguita Lodge and Rest Home.
Those challenges included allegations, some without much evidence, that Csanyi broke rules and was violent, but also included claims the home improperly evicted him and tried to use police to force him out.
On Monday, the jury heard closing submissions and heard 19 proposed recommendations — all but one of which was supported by the parties involved in the inquest, including the inquest counsel, the Csanyi family, the city, the police and St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton.
Proposed recommendations for city, province and care facility
Recommendations to the province and the city include:
- Having the province and the city undergo a comprehensive review of the quality of housing and services provided by residential care facilities in Hamilton.
- Implementing housing models in the city based on the review.
- Developing oversight mechanisms for residential care facilities.
Recommendations to the city include:
- Designate some residential care facilities to provide low-barrier, “harm-reduction housing.”
- Collect data that tracks displacement from residential care facilities.
- Develop training on the Residential Tenancy Act for city staff and residential care facility staff.
- Inform residential care facility tenants of their rights.
The sole recommendation to Sampaguita Lodge and Rest Home is to:
Inquest counsel Jai Dhar said Monday he believed the 18 proposed joint recommendations were “realistic.”
He also said Csanyi didn’t have stable housing, and while it’s unclear that would’ve saved his life, “but in the absence of stable housing, his chances were grim.”
Dhar added housing options that are available for people like Csanyi in Hamilton aren’t “appropriate or responsive” to people in similar circumstances.
‘He would’ve wanted better conditions’
The family also put forward a recommendation to jurors for the city to create a system that would let people looking for a spot in a residential care facility get more information about each facility.
The recommendation was the only one presented to jurors that didn’t get support from the various parties involved.
Dhar explained it isn’t that the recommendation is not helpful but asked jurors to consider if it flows from the evidence heard during the inquest.
Merima Menzildzic, one of the lawyers representing Csanyi’s family, tried to persuade the jury to support it.
She said the recommendation would allow people to have more information about the few housing options that are available and could help predict or prevent future issues.
“The goal is not only to better understand the circumstances that led to Attila’s death but will be to learn from these circumstances,” Menzildzic said, with tears in her eyes.
“Attila isn’t here to speak for himself … he would’ve wanted better conditions now for those who have been left behind.”
The jury will receive instructions on Tuesday and decide what recommendations they will put forward.