CIMM – Housing Supports for Asylum Seekers – February 7, 2024
Key Facts and Figures
In July 2023, the Government announced $212M in funding and a one-year renewal of the Interim Housing Assistance Program (IHAP) until March 2024; which included up to $97M for the City of Toronto. To date, a total of $50M has been issued as follows: $35M to the City of Toronto, $10M to the Region of Peel and $5M to the City of Ottawa.
Between 2017 and 2022, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) issued IHAP payments of $698.8M: $440.9M to Quebec, $215.4M to the City of Toronto, $26.1M to the City of Ottawa, $8M to Manitoba, $6M to British Columbia, $2.2M to the Region of Peel and $220K to the City of Hamilton.
Budget 2023 provided an additional $530M allocated in 2023-2024 for IRCC to directly provide short-term accommodations (federal hotels) to asylum seekers unable to shelter elsewhere, in addition to the funding already provided since the 2022 Fall Economic Statement.
As of January 9, 2024, IRCC’s hotel footprint for temporary accommodation is approximately 4,050 rooms across Canada (34 hotels in six different provinces), and we are currently housing approximately 7,600 claimants, including 2,300 in Quebec and 5,000 in Ontario. The total projected cost for IRCC-funded hotels (ILS) for 2023-2024 is $557M.
IRCC has been backstopping Quebec’s shelter system through hotels since November 2021. Between June 30, 2022 and January 9, 2024, IRCC transferred 10,580 asylum claimants from Quebec to other provinces, mainly Ontario. Since September 2023, the Department has assisted municipalities in Ontario by transferring over 2,200 claimants to IRCC temporary accommodations, who were otherwise unable to secure shelter due to an overburdened shelter system.
IRCC has made payments in the order of $8.5B to Quebec under the Canada-Quebec Accord since 1991.
Key Messages
The government is committed to working collaboratively with provincial and municipal partners to ensure that asylum claimants have access to temporary shelter when they need it.
In July 2023, the government announced $212M and a renewal of IHAP until March 2024 to reimburse, on a cost-sharing basis, expenses incurred in 2023 by provinces and municipalities providing interim housing to asylum claimants. Through IHAP, the federal government has already provided almost $750M to jurisdictions since 2017.
IHAP funding supports jurisdictions in adjusting to the influx of asylum claimants and increasing their interim housing capacity, reducing the risk of homelessness for this vulnerable population.
On November 24, we announced that the Government of Canada will provide the Region of Peel with up to $7M to open a new reception centre that will provide shelter and support to asylum claimants. IRCC welcomes the Region’s initiative as this new model will better serve the needs of asylum claimants by providing upfront the information and supports they need.
IRCC is continuing to provide limited temporary accommodations for claimants who otherwise would not have a place to shelter to relieve pressures away from provincial and municipal shelter systems.
The government continues to explore options for support to provinces and municipalities that provide housing and services to asylum claimants. Going forward, however, we stress that solutions for long-term strategies need to come from all levels of government.
If pressed:
In 2023-2024, in addition to the $212M to be spent through IHAP, the government expects to spend a total of $557M on hotels to address extraordinary interim housing pressures related to the increased volumes of asylum claimants. This temporary assistance aims to allow provinces time to adjust to new asylum pressures, and to increase interim housing capacity, reducing the risk of homelessness for asylum claimants.
Supplementary Information
To help manage the immediate crisis related to shelter needs of claimants in Toronto, IRCC has struck an interdepartmental Deputy Minister operational table with the Government of Ontario, the City of Toronto and other impacted municipalities, as well as relevant federal partners, focused on ensuring a common understanding of asylum-related housing challenges and identifying cross-jurisdictional solutions.
IRCC has received the City of Ottawa’s funding proposal for a newcomer reception centre. It is currently under review and has also been shared with Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada.
The government is aware of Quebec’s continued request for costs related to non-housing expenses incurred for providing services to asylum seekers in 2021 and 2022 in the amount of $403.4M. It is recommended that such financial matters be discussed between respective finance ministers.
