According to United States Customs records, Hamilton’s ‘Indigenous-sourced’ $1.4-million Made-in-China tiny modular shelters arrived in California on December 26.

Online data shows a shipment destined for Microshelters Inc. arriving from Shanghai, China, into the United States.

In a December 24 press conference, the City of Hamilton stated they expected the shipment to arrive in North America on December 26.

Online business and tracking information indicates Microshelters Inc., which dubiously misrepresented itself as affiliated with American tiny shelter company Foldom, ordered from another middleman company, Global Axxis LLC.

The City of Hamilton cannot, or will not, state who manufactured the shelters.

The City has steadfastly refused to explain why it awarded non-competitive, no-due diligence $1.4-million contract to the newly incorporated Microshelters Inc. company to order the shelters.

On December 24, the City revealed that the contract with Microshelters Inc. is solely for ordering the modular units.

The City paid $1.4 million for what it stated are 40 modular units.

The City states it is paying “taxes, shipping and duties” on top of the $1.4-million.

The City is also responsible for all construction, set-up, and work to install the shelters.

The City has not revealed why it disqualified hiring experienced companies that could deliver the full project.

Questions regarding who made the decisions in this matter are also going unanswered.

Production Details
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Published: December 30, 2024
Last edited: December 31, 2024
Author: Joey Coleman
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v. 1.0.0 original version
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Editor's note: thank you to a reader for sharing the US Customs data site with me.

33 replies on “Hamilton’s Made-in-China Tiny Shelters Arrived in California: US Customs Data”

  1. What an absolute embarrassment, can you imagine? You would think we live in third world country where we can’t produce these tiny homes ourself and keep the money in Canada rather than ship it to China! Who on city council agreed to this miscarriage of Justice with our tax dollars? Every single vote should be accountable and subject to recourse, when election time rolls around! Especially Andrea as she is the one who has enabled this situation to be perpetuated to where it is today in our City.

    1. To be fair, Vincent, we probably can’t produce these homes at the quality and price that they can be purchased directly from China. Why was it a single source contract and why were there so many middlemen involved in the deal?

  2. Hi everyone. Welcome to a new year. And same old BS.
    I wonder if anyone else would consider my idea.
    We seem to have lost most trades training in schools and now privately done. Maybe, just maybe, those schools could have a program that builds these tiny homes. And also utilize the growing number of skilled refugees to at least do something for their free government handouts.
    Just a thought.

  3. Absolutely no accountability to the taxpayers. No due diligence on the part of the city. This should be investigated BTW shipment shows 34 units not 40

    1. Hi,

      Yes, I noted the 34 units stated by US Customs. I do not know how the shipment is packaged. It is possible components are packaged together and 34 units contains the parts for 40 shelters.

      I’m watching.

  4. What general contractor is doing the on-site assembly? This is very important information.

  6. Andrea Horvath needs to put herself out on the the street in the cold and rain and wind for just one night with nothing to protect herself except a flimsy sleeping bag and then she may see the homeless situation with a different perspective and make some very different decisions!!!!
    These people need help and they need it now!
    Shelters for the homeless as a temporary measure at least could be provided with very little expense
    Tents and waterproof blankets at the very least could be made available in a heartbeat
    Let her and all of the decision makers go out and experience homelessness for just one night
    They would find solutions very quickly

  7. Who ever ordered these shelters from this company should be fired, right away,and made public,they couldn’t get a local company do manufacturer them?
    This is disgracefull and embarrassing

  8. no one here can do this for that cost..we got a ton of regulations…and some how a 5m project will become 20 or 30m.

    its easy for media to spin it so avg joes like us will diss the city..

    lets think impartially.

    i have to personally purchased one tiny home unit for my property via amazon, it did come from china..tbh the quality was amazing…setting it up was super easy.
    mine cost 23k.

    lets not jump to conclusions here and belittle a country or a segment of people.

    could the buying process been more transparent..ofc..that we can pick on

  10. China!!! You mean to tell me no one in Canada could have manufactured these, what a freaking joke this city has become. I can no longer praise a city that once was 😥

    1. Our Mayor has represented the city in one capacity or another since the 90s. She’s worked downtown for years.

      She recently said she had her eyes opened to the crisis after doing a walk around downtown with the police.

      She’s totally out of touch. This was her fall back job. We deserve better

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