City calling for provincial, federal support for influx of refugee claimants in shelter system

With a rising number of refugee claimants flooding Toronto's shelter system in recent years, the city has issued an urgent request for support from the federal and provincial governments.

"We want refugees to be as big a success story for themselves and for Canada[as] prior generations of refugees," said Mayor John Tory on Thursday. "But that goal is simply not achievable if other governments especially the federal government don't step up."

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The average number of refugee claimants in shelter system beds has gone up year over year since 2016, city data shows,from roughly 490 each night in April 2016 to more than 1,100a year later.

This April, there are now roughly 2,350 refugee claimantsusing the shelter system,which accounts for more than one-third ofall shelter system beds. That system includes both conventional shelter spaces and beds within four hotel and motel sites.

Tory said if those levels continue, the city will incur $64.5 million in costs tied to providing shelter and housing for refugee claimants in 2017 and 2018.

"As is the case with the general shelter population, it would seem that Toronto ends up taking on responsibility for the entire region without the funding support that recognizes that," he said.

Asylum seekers moving from Montreal to Toronto, city believes

The city is now asking the federal and provincial governments to help co-ordinate the immediate placement of new arrivals to locations outside of its shelter system and provide dedicated staff to co-ordinate services for refugee claimants.

Tory said it's crucial that higher levels ofgovernmentstep in, since this is an "area of their jurisdiction."

City officials believe the rising number of shelter-using refugee claimantsis likelytied to the influx of refugees in Quebec, including many who may betravelling to Toronto.

As CBCpreviously reported,more than 5,500 migrants have crossedillegally into Quebec so far this year a big jump from the 2,000 or so who entered the province by this time in 2017.

• Asylum seekers could be moved out of Quebec as part of deal with Ottawa

The latest numbers from Quebec's provincialgovernment showmore than 1,300 asylum seekers are being housed in the Montreal area right now, and the province's immigration minister recently announced it will stop accepting new arrivals to its shelter system.

Following Tory's plea for outside help for Toronto, both Ontarioand the federal governmentpledged their ongoing support.

"We have been aware that existing Toronto housing was reaching capacity," said BeatriceFenelon, a spokesperson forImmigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, in a statement. "We continue to work closely with all involved players in the implementation of a contingency plan that is prepared for any future fluctuations."

• 100 people died while homeless in 2017, prompting calls for more coordination with local hospitals

In comments to the media on Thursday morning,Premier Kathleen Wynnesaid the province will continue tolook for extraprovincial buildings that can be used for shelter spaces.

'He's chosen to scapegoat people'

But some advocates say the city's concerns over asylum seekers are just one piece of a bigger, ongoingissue: The shelter system as a whole is bursting at the seams, with an ongoing 96 per cent occupancy rate.

"Many of the shelter beds have been taken by asylum seekers and refugees, but that does not paint the full picture," said Coun. KristynWong-Tam. "The system overall has been under some significant strain."

Doug Johnson Hatlem, a longtime advocate for Toronto's homeless community, is among others criticizing the latest city numbers.

On Twitter, he questioned why the city lumps motel beds into itsshelter numbers, saying there's "almost no overlap" between the two.

"Simply put, Toronto bureaucrats started counting motel beds used by refugee claimants as part of their strategy to game the stats around homelessness rather than offering a real solution," he tweeted.

City staff saymotel rooms have been used to expand capacity for families in the shelter systemdating back to the1980s. But outreach worker Gregory Cook saidthe challenges facing conventional shelter usersand asylum seekers staying primarily in motels and hotels are distinct, andquestioned the mayor'sfocus on refugee claimants.

"It really frustrates me that he's chosen to scapegoat people who are refugees," he said.