Hundreds of shelter beds city council opened up to temporarily house refugee claimants less than two weeks ago are already full, and the cash-strapped municipality has nowhere to put asylum seekers sleeping in crowded conditions at two local churches, according to Mayor Olivia Chow.
Chow made the remarks Friday after touring the Revivaltime Tabernacle Church in North York, where for more than a week more than 100 asylum seekers have been living in close quarters.
Speaking to media in front of rows of tightly-spaced cots in the sweltering church basement, the newly elected mayor reiterated her call for the federal government to commit more funding to house refugee claimants, on top of the almost $100 million it pledged last week.
鈥淭he City of 海角社区官网is broke,鈥 Chow said, turning her pocket inside out to illustrate her point.
She estimated that there are 3,300 asylum seekers in need of shelter in Toronto, with more arriving every day. 鈥淎nd we need the federal government to take their responsibility seriously and help us welcome them,鈥 she said.
Chow also apologized to refugee claimants on behalf of the municipality and other levels of government for 鈥渢he way they鈥檝e been treated on the streets and the lack of dignity that they experienced.鈥
Refugee issue dominates first days of Chow鈥檚 term
The early days of Chow鈥檚 mayoralty have been dominated by the response to asylum seekers, whose plight made headlines after the city announced in May it would start referring them to federal supports instead of its overburdened shelter system.
That left some asylum seekers, many of whom are fleeing Uganda and other African countries, sleeping outside the shelter referral centre on Peter St. downtown.
Church groups and African-Canadian community organizations stepped in and offered space for them, and after taking office July 12 Chow reversed the policy that steered newcomers away from shelters.
On July 19, councillors unanimously backed a motion from Chow to immediately make available 150 shelter beds for refugee claimants and find 100 more as soon as possible. Most of the immediate spaces would be secured by renting rooms in hotels.
Council also approved spending almost $7 million on a rent supplement program, an amount that was matched by the provincial government and which the city said would provide permanent housing to more than 1,350 households.
But Chow said Friday the new shelter spaces council approved are already occupied.
Buses supposed to take more refugees to shelter didn鈥檛 arrive
Pastor Judith James of the Revivaltime Tabernacle Church, said some of the asylum seekers sleeping at the building had been taken by bus to shelter beds, but additional buses she was expecting mid-week never arrived. About 150 people are still sleeping at her church, down from a high of about 230. A further 115 are at Dominion Church International near Weston Rd. and Sheppard Ave.
James said it was unsustainable for both the ministry and the asylum seekers for the church to continue housing so many people. The building鈥檚 electrical system is being pushed to its limit, the church鈥檚 bills are soaring, and kitchen staff are struggling to prepare 600 meals a day. Meanwhile her congregation鈥檚 plans for important events like weddings are being disrupted.
James vowed to continue supporting the newcomers so that 鈥渢hese men and women do not have to face the conditions that they have grown all familiar with.鈥 But she called on all levels of government to provide 鈥渋mmediate and interim housing solutions鈥 and mental health supports to those sleeping in the churches.
Federal government tells 海角社区官网to look to Queen鈥檚 Park
On July 18 the federal government announced $97 million to help house refugees. That fell short of the $157 million the city says it needs to support asylum seekers in the shelter system, a figure that鈥檚 in addition to the $27 million council is asking of Ottawa for the rent supplement program.
But in a letter Monday, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland rejected calls for additional funding, asserting that the federal Liberal government has provided more than $6 billion to the city since 2015, more than any previous federal government.
Freeland, who represents the 海角社区官网riding of University-Rosedale, said the city has reserve funds it can dip into, and advised Chow to ask the province, which she said has 鈥渂oth the constitutional responsibility and the fiscal capacity to support Toronto,鈥 for more money.
Chow countered Friday the city needs its reserve funds to pay for disasters like floods and storms. She said she would continue to seek financial aid from Queen鈥檚 Park, but argued that immigration and refugee issues fall within federal jurisdiction.
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