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Earlier today, Toronto City Council reinforced its commitment to supporting refugees by approving the creation of over 600 emergency shelter spaces.
Based on the recommendation of City Staff, the agreement will see the Novotel, located at 3 Park Home Avenue in North York, become exclusively dedicated to the housing of refugees as soon as September 1st. The agreement will cost nearly $80 million over the next five years.
The City's said that the allocated funding will also provide support to aid refugees in their transition to life in Canada. The agreement commits to providing culturally appropriate food, healthcare and mental health services, and support programs for accessing employment, permanent housing, and education.
The move to create new emergency shelters is largely driven by the increase in global travel since border restrictions have eased. According to the City, there has been an average of 55 new refugees per week, and the total of 1,700 refugees currently in the system is over three times greater than it was this time last year.
Another force driving the expansion is the need to alleviate the city's overcrowded shelter system. Moving the refugees to a refugee specific shelter should make more spaces available in the shelters for people experiencing homelessness.
This agreement has taken shape in the wake of criticism after an audit in June found that the City had been overspending on hotel shelters. The report pointed to $13 million in excess spending over the last two years, prompting measures like more affordable catering to be discussed during Monday's meeting to ensure this overspending does not continue.
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