Toronto getting $143 million in federal funding for asylum seeker shelter support

Toronto is getting $143 million from the federal government to help shelter asylum seekers in the city.

Earlier this week, Immigration Minister Marc Miller had announced Ottawa would spend $362 million to help cities and provinces house asylum seekers, saying Toronto would get a “significant amount.”

The city’s portion of that funding was announced Friday, with the federal government saying it was aimed at reimbursing costs incurred by Toronto last year and in the first quarter of this year.

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Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow has said the federal funds will support nearly 6,000 refugee claimants currently in the city’s shelter system.

The city saw asylum seekers sleeping on sidewalks for a period of time last summer when they were unable to get a space in the shelter system.

Chow has been pressing the federal government for more support since she took office in July – Ottawa announced nearly $100 million for asylum seeker support in the summer and the latest funding is in addition to that.

2:55 Freeland announces $162M funding for Toronto’s asylum seekers, low-income renters