Asylum seekers and refugees who were camped out along the streets of downtown Toronto waiting for shelter and housing have been temporarily relocated to a church in North York.
Dozens of people had been living in tents along Richmond and Peter streets outside of a city intake centre due to an ongoing funding battle between the City of Toronto and the federal government.
The city said had previously said shelters were already packed to capacity and it recently changed its policy regarding asylum seekers, referring them to the federal government rather than paying for their shelter spaces.
The back-and-forth between governments over responsibility for refugees has seen people arriving at Pearson International Airport left on the streets of Toronto in the hot sun or rain while they wait for temporary housing or shelter space.
Late Monday night, with the help of community members and advocates, around 200 refugees were moved to Revivaltime Tabernacle Downsview on Dufferin Street just south of Finch.
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Mohamad Fakih, local philanthropist, businessman and Paramount Fine Foods founder, has pledged $20,000 to help fund what’s needed to get them support.
Judith James, pastor at Revivaltime Tabernacle Downsview, told Global News that she hopes to hear from the government soon.
“I hope that they call us. I hope they want to hear from us, about us. I hope that they want to understand what it’s really taking to take care of these people and that they will do what’s right,” James said.
James said the local community wants to ensure the new arrivals are housed and they are taken care of so “their human dignity is restored.”
“This is a temporary solution to a very big problem. It’s a Band-Aid really.”
There is no timeline for how long the refugees will stay at the church but on Tuesday morning Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Sean Fraser made a funding announcement from the federal government.
Fraser said $212 million in funding has been approved for interim housing solutions across Canada for asylum seekers. Of that, around $97 million is expected for Toronto.
Toronto mayor Olivia Chow said in a statement the funding announcement is a “welcome first step” but that more needs to be done to address the crisis.
“It will not meet the needs of refugees arriving in Toronto and across the region,” Chow said. “It may however provide a short term stop gap.”
She said she is working with the city manager and senior staff to determine what more can be done “immediately.”
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