Refugees remain on Toronto streets over funding stalemate, no new federal money announced

Months after $215 million in federal funding for refugee settlement in Toronto ran out, no new money was announced Friday to address what’s been described as a crisis playing out on its downtown streets.

Months after $215 million in federal funding for refugee settlement in Toronto ran out, no new money was announced Friday to address what’s been described as a crisis playing out on its downtown streets.

“The Interim Housing Assistance Program has sunset, but that does not mean that some of the benefits of it don't still continue to linger for those benefited from it,’ Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino said at an unrelated news conference in Toronto Friday on behalf of Immigration Minister Sean Fraser.

“We are very much focused on being a partner with the City of Toronto, with all municipalities, with provinces and territories, so that refugees who come to Canada, and indeed all immigrants who come to Canada, are able to hit the ground running,” Mendicino added, but stopped short of announcing any new funding to fix the problem.

Earlier this week, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) told CTV News that an additional $175 million has been set aside for immigrant and refugee settlement services in the Toronto area as part of the 2023-2024 federal budget.

But the sight outside of Toronto’s shelter intake centre shows that money can’t arrive soon enough.

For the last several weeks, dozens of people continue to sleep outside the downtown facility on Peter Street after Toronto started referring refugees to federal programs in June.

Newly-minted Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow said the city manager, Paul Johnson, is set to meet with his provincial and federal counterparts on Friday to discuss the issue and figure out a way to “deal with this crisis.”