Inquest into 2020 death of man on Jackson Square rooftop set to start Tuesday

The Ontario coroner is set to begin an inquest on Tuesday morning into the death of Attila Csanyi a man who died of an overdose on the rooftop of Jackson Square in 2020.

A media release from theHamilton Community Legal Clinic states 28-year-old Attila Csanyiwas evicted from his residential care facility on Bay Street South nearly two months before his death.

The eviction wasn't done through Ontario'sResidential Tenancies Act and left him unhoused at the beginningof the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the legal clinic.

Hisdeath spurred a documentaryby filmmaker Stephen Hosier, who followsRichard Csanyias he investigates the life and death of his twin brother Attila.

The documentary saysAttila was grappling with addiction andschizophrenia when he was evicted.

The inquest will feature a five-member jurywho will hear from witnesses including:

• Hamilton Police Service.
• City of Hamilton.
• St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton
• Sampaguita Lodging and Rest Home.
• The Csanyifamily.
• Experts on homelessness, residential care facilities and tenants' rights.

The jury may make recommendations to the various institutions aimed to prevent others from dying the way Attila did.

"We anticipate that this inquest will draw attention to the institutional failings that created the conditions for the destabilization of Attila's housing and supportive care in the weeks prior to his death," the legal clinic said.

The inquest is expected to span over two to three weeks.

People can watch a livestreamof the inquesthere.