Toronto council chooses not to act on ombudsman report calling refugee shelter response 'anti-Black racism'

Toronto city council quietly received a scathing report on Wednesday from the city's ombusdman without discussion and without directing staff to implement any of the 14 recommendations. 

The report looked into the city's decision, announced in 2023, to limit refugee claimants' access to shelter beds. Ombudsman Kwame Addo found the decision amounted to anti-Black racism. 

When the report was released last week, Mayor Olivia Chow said in a statement it would need "thoughtful discussion at council." Instead, it was received without discussion. 

Not all councillors were happy about that, however.

"We should have had a debate on it," said Coun. Jamaal Myers. 

"I think it was a missed opportunity for Torontonians to just understand more of what actually happened, and what is the plan to ensure this doesn't happen again." 

Addo's recommendations include that any future changes to shelter eligibility should be reviewed by entities including the city's human rights office, that shelter staff and leadership should receive anti-Black racism training, and that the city should create a strategy to engage with refugee claimants and organizations that serve them. 

Report 'hard to read' says councillor 

Coun. Michael Thompson, who missed the initial vote to receive the report, attempted to re-open discussion later in the afternoon. Councillors voted 14 to 9 against the motion to reconsider. 

"I had a hard time reading this report, and for this council just to allow it to pass like that, it's shameful," Thompson said following that vote.  

The report says the city decided in November 2022 to stop allowing refugee claimants access to general shelter system beds. The decision was publicly announced six months later in May 2023, with the city saying it would refer refugee claimants to federal programs and away from at-capacity shelters. 

Addo said the decision was not consistent with the Toronto Housing Charter, which says all people have a right to a safe, secure and affordable home, and also went against the Ontario Human Rights Code. 

"Many refugee claimants were living on the sidewalk or in make-shift shelters with only limited access to sanitation, food and water," Addo wrote in the report. 

City manager disagrees with findings 

Toronto's city manager, however, said in a letter to Addo that he disagrees with the findings.

In the Nov. 26 letter, Paul Johnston said he would not take steps to implement the recommendations, beyond work already underway, unless directed to by council. He also called the tone of the report "accusatory." 

At a news conference last week, Johnson said the city is already working with refugee organizations. He said city staff are also already subject to mandatory anti-racism training.