York Region is awaiting federal aid for asylum seekers after Toronto is funded

The Regional Municipality of York is applying for federal funding to support the influx of asylum seekers after receiving support from neighboring Toronto.

The federal government has allocated $143 million to the City of Toronto to address the problem, part of a $364.2 million pool announced through the Temporary Housing Assistance Program. But funding for other municipalities to help asylum seekers has yet to come forward.

While Toronto hosts the majority of asylum seekers, York Region chairman and CEO Wayne Emmerson said higher government funding is needed for other municipalities trying to provide assistance.

“Going forward, we will continue to do what we can and help as many people as possible. But it's a provincial and federal issue and we hope to get the funding soon.”

York Region has allocated $4.3 million to help asylum seekers and opened several hotel sites to accommodate them. The GTA has seen so many people from African countries in recent months that municipalities have had to help them with housing and shelter services. That prompted municipalities like York to call for provincial and federal funding.

The Federal Assistance Program is a cost-sharing fund that reimburses provinces and municipalities for providing temporary housing to asylum seekers. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada said they require an application.

The government is “continuing to have ongoing discussions with York Region regarding their application and the extent of their costs,” the government department said. “All orders of government are needed to respond to the needs of asylum seekers, and the Government of Canada is committed to working with partners to determine how best and most effectively to support them.”

York Region Community and Health Commissioner Catherine Chislett said the region has applied for some of this additional funding. He said he was happy that the federal government recognized the work of the municipalities.

“Municipalities are at the forefront of responding to the extraordinary volume of asylum seekers arriving in our communities; “Continued investment from the highest levels of government is needed to ensure that municipalities can meet the unprecedented demand that exceeds the capacity of the emergency and transitional housing system,” he said.

The region said its $4.3 million allocation will only last until the end of March, when hotel sites and additional services for asylum seekers may be completed.

Meanwhile, organizations helping asylum seekers in the region's south, including Canada's Miracle Arena, said support was not enough.