Black-led groups call on Toronto to adopt ombudsman's recommendations on refugee shelter access

A coalition of mainly Black-led groups demanded on Friday that the city adopt recommendations from a report critical of its refusal to let refugee claimants access beds in its homeless shelter system in 2022 and 2023. The report by Ombudsman Kwame Addo, released last week, found that the city's decision to stop allowing refugees access to beds in its base shelter system was "poorly thought out, planned for, and communicated" and amounted to anti-Black racism. City manager Paul Johnson said he did not agree with the report's findings.

Council received the report at its meeting on Wednesday but did not debate or discuss its recommendations. 

Kizito Musabimana, chair of the African Canadian Collective, said at a news conference this week that the decision by the city to deny spaces in its shelter system to refugee claimants was "definitely systemic racism."

Musabimana said there seems to be a lack of compassion and empathy among government officials, "a crisis of bureaucracy," and a government system that prioritizes procedures over people. He said not only must council adopt the recommendations, but must provide timelines for implementation.

"We are speaking for all African Black refugee claimants. Today, we're speaking for all Black people when we say change must come. Change must come today and we will take nothing less," he said.

Musabimana said he was contacted on Friday by Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow, who asked for a conversation about the report. He said she has indicated that she is disappointed in how the issue was handled at council and would like to apologize to the community. He said that conversation must be public.

"We all welcome that decision from the mayor and we look forward to having a conversation that is public, a conversation that involves everybody," Musabimana said.

CBC Toronto has reached out to Chow's office for comment but has not yet heard back. On Wednesday evening at council, Chow said she is committed to holding a meeting to discuss the report, and that meeting would include staff and councillors. It's not clear when and where that meeting would take place.

Saleh Sheihk, a member of the advocacy group Crisis in Our City Network, said the decision to deny shelter space to refugee claimants made them feel unwelcome and made them unsafe in Toronto.

"Anti-Black racism is real, and we saw the Black refugees being treated this way. That shouldn't be happening," Sheihk said. "This is not just a call for action. It is a call for justice, fairness and humanity."

Savhanna Wilson, spokesperson for the Toronto Alliance to End Homelessness, said Black community leaders, African churches, volunteers, and private citizens stepped up to meet the needs of the refugee claimants excluded from the shelter system, saying the decision harmed the refugees and denied them their basic human rights.

Wilson said those same people are stepping up to say enough is enough.

"This report demands concrete action and the City of Toronto must uphold its legal and moral obligation to realize the right to housing for everyone today," Wilson said. 

Wilson said the remedies are clear and simple: "Ensure shelter access is equitable and aligned with the Toronto Housing Charter, ensure decisions are made transparently and that impacted community members are involved in policy development, and commit to accountability to establish mechanisms to report this implementation."