Toronto Community Housing is attempting a mass eviction of families they say have links to street gangs in a bid to clean up the troubled west-end Jamestown neighbourhood.

Within the past year, TCH has served notices to leaseholders of 13 units in the Jamestown complex in Rexdale, and there are likely more to come, the Toronto Star reports.

The move, similar to an initiative in Los Angeles that was designed to quell gang violence, is believed to be the largest eviction by the agency since 2004's Project Impact in Scarborough, which targeted the Malvern Crew.

Some of the Jamestown families who have been served notices, however, are fighting the move before the Ontario Housing Rental Tribunal.

Some tenants have already moved out on their own.

"They got the notice of termination and they left without challenging," Steve Floros, the corporation's director of property management, told the Star. "Others have challenged."

TCH, which is owned by the city, is perfectly within its right to evict tenants when lines are crossed, Floros said.

"Our concern is, `What is the activity that's taking place on our property, what's the impact on the greater community,' and our remedy, like any other landlord, is to turn to the tribunal and say, `This is the issue, this is the tenants' involvement, and we're seeking a remedy which is eviction in some cases.'"

Floros said it is a different scale of justice than in a criminal proceeding.

"When you go to the tribunal, it's a quasi-legal hearing. It's based on the balance of probability --unlike criminal law, (which is) based on (proof) beyond a reasonable doubt."

TCH "can proceed even if the charges are thrown out," he added. "We don't have to wait for the disposition of the case."

Last week a lawyer representing eight leaseholders appeared before an adjudicator, arguing the evictions are unfair and penalize families of alleged criminals who have not yet been convicted of a crime. The case resumes March 12.

"The assumption is that the whole family is guilty, the whole family is condoning and promoting this behaviour," said John Sawdon, executive director of the non-profit Canadian Training Institute, which runs "gang exiting" programs.

"When there are some single moms who are trying to work two, three jobs to give her kids a living and may not have been home, may not be aware (of criminal activity) and what you've done with just one broad stroke is condemn and convict everyone of them," he said.

Floros denies there is a "new protocol" to issue eviction notices if family members are charged with gang-related crime.

There have been a number of shootings in Jamestown over the years, causing many residents to fear for their safety.

After the raids in the community last spring, Chief Bill Blair described the Jamestown Crew as "a sophisticated criminal organization that preyed on neighbourhoods, using violence to intimidate law-abiding citizens."