Durham, Peel regions facing skyrocketing demand as Toronto shelters turn away asylum seekers

A group of municipalities say they are dealing with the same refugee settlement concerns as Toronto and desperately need more resources with their shelter systems far beyond capacity. 

On Thursday, Durham Region, which encompasses the cities of Pickering, Ajax, Oshawa and Whitby, released a statement calling on the province and federal government to help fund the region's emergency response to increased shelter needs. Local programs have exceeded capacity and newcomers are at risk of becoming homeless, or are already sleeping on the street, it said.

Following Durham's comments, Ajax Mayor Shaun Collier released a statement Friday on a "sudden influx" of refugees that have sought support in the city. He said close to 200 displaced migrants have arrived in the town since the end of June and the social support system in the region is under "immense pressure".

Toronto announced last month that its shelter system is at capacity and that it would have to turn away refugees and asylum seekers and refer them to federal programs, citing the need for more funding. 

"We're having the exact same challenges here," John Henry, the regional chair and CEO for Durham Region, told CBC Toronto on Thursday.

"This is new for us. It's outside of our realm, we don't make the laws, we don't set the policy. We're doing paperwork we've never had to do before, and that's where the real challenge is," said Henry.

Collier said in his statement that resources in Ajax have been "completely exhausted" and without additional funding, the town is facing an emergency on top of a "homelessness situation." The unsheltered population has increased by about 40 per cent in a "matter of days" and the town needs help from higher levels of government, he said. 

Speaking with CBC Radio's Metro Morning on Thursday, newly-minted Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow said city staff and provincial government officials are meeting Friday to discuss the issue. She said if Ottawa won't provide financial assistance, the city may consider measures such as setting up emergency camps and calling the Red Cross.

LISTEN: Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow discusses shelter crisis on Metro Morning

A spokesperson for Chow's office told CBC Toronto that the city needs $157 million to cover shelter costs for refugee claimants. City workers said this week that the federal government has turned its back on Toronto. 

There are refugees from Ukraine and Afghanistan seeking shelter along with people looking for help amid existing affordability problems and mental health and addiction issues. All of it is coalescing into a major shelter crisis, he explained.

"The problem is far more complicated than people coming here, looking for a safe place to live," he said. "No matter how much we put into this, we're not getting ahead."

Peel Region shelter system beyond capacity 

Over in Peel Region, the problem looms large as well. Sean Baird, the human services commissioner for the region, told CBC Toronto in email that it is experiencing the same pressures as Durham.

Henry said he is ready to meet with other levels of government and wants to discuss the issue without "throwing bricks." Municipalities are not set up to handle those challenges and higher levels of government need to understand that they do not have the infrastructure, he said.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) told CBC Toronto that it has provided around $700 million since 2017, to provinces and municipalities to help with housing pressures as more refugees arrive in Canada through the Interim Housing Assistance Program (IHAP).

Through that program, it says it provided $215 million to Toronto, $2 million to the Peel Region and $220,000 to Hamilton. While Toronto has regularly sought funding through the program for the last six years, Peel and Hamilton only did so in 2019, the IRCC said.

It also said government-assisted refugees are eligible for a year of income support and accommodations, while others are provided with help through private sponsorship groups.

Ontario calls on feds to provide additional funding

On Wednesday, IRCC also said it is working with municipalities and provinces to ensure that "new destinations" have the capacity to help asylum seekers. 

In a statement, the Ontario government said its recently announced more funding for municipal service managers who are responsible for homelessness programs. But it also said it's calling on the federal government to "step up and take responsibility" for what it says is a federal issue. 

There's a reason refugees seek out Canada to build a new life, and the country should not let people down, said Henry. 

"We've become that lighthouse of the world. People come to Canada to live that dream. And we're having people arrive here, and we're not able to help," he said.