CIMM – Housing Supports for Asylum Seekers – October 24, 2023

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.
Between 2017 and 2022, IRCC issued IHAP payments of $698.8M: $440.9M to Quebec, $215.4M to City of Toronto, $26.1M to City of Ottawa, $8M to Manitoba, $6M to British Columbia, $2.2M to Region of Peel and $220K to City of Hamilton.
Budget 2023 provided an additional $530M allocated in 2023-2024 for IRCC to directly provide short-term accommodations to asylum seekers unable to shelter elsewhere, in addition to the funding already provided since the 2022 Fall Economic Statement.
As of October 1, 2023, IRCC’s hotel footprint for temporary accommodation was approximately 3,300 rooms (in 30 hotels housing approximately 5,200 claimants in seven provinces).

The Government is committed to working collaboratively with provincial and municipal partners, who are responsible for providing housing and other supports, 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 the Interim Housing Assistance Program 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 $700M to jurisdictions since 2017.
IRCC has also continued to provide limited temporary accommodations for eligible claimants who otherwise would not have a place to shelter.
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.

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, to focus on logistics, assets and options, and emergency preparedness.