The Honourable Marc Miller
Minister of Immigration Refugees and Citizenship
House of Commons Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0A6
November 17, 2023
Re: Urgent Need to Release Peel IHAP Funding
Dear Minister Miller,
By now you will have heard the heartbreaking news that an adult male in his early forties who was forced to camp outside the Dundas Street Shelter in Mississauga sadly lost his life earlier this week. With up to 150 asylum seekers camping outside this shelter every day, this is undignified and unacceptable in a country as prosperous as Canada. One life lost is one too many.
The issue of asylum seekers in our shelters has reached a critical breaking point – this is a humanitarian emergency and it must be treated like one.
I wanted to take the opportunity to follow up on several letters that have been sent to the federal government regarding this matter, urging additional supports for cities across Ontario to deal with this crisis. This includes letters sent by the Ontario Big City Mayors, GTHA Mayors and the Peel Region Mayors and Chair. This is in addition to the call you had with Mayor Crombie in September, where she requested an update on Peel Region’s $19.3 million Interim Housing Assistance Program application. Lastly, I was proud to table a motion at Peel Regional Council earlier this month that passed unanimously urging the federal government to flow this funding immediately. I’ve included a copy for your review.
With over 1,100 asylum seekers in our shelters, we are operating at a 320% occupancy rate. This number only continues to grow daily since we first started welcoming East African asylum seekers into our shelters in June and is simply unsustainable. Since then, we have seen an over 60% growth in refugees in our shelter system and are sadly no longer able to honour our long-standing “no turn away” policy. As you know, our shelter system is not designed to support refugees and asylum seekers from a capacity perspective, but also in terms of wrap-around supports and services. Cities are simply not equipped to handle these pressures.
As Acting Mayor, it breaks my heart that this is the first impression of Mississauga or Canada that our newcomers see. Sleeping on the streets, outside shelters and in temporary accommodations in churches is no way to welcome them to our country. It’s simply unacceptable.
Our staff at the Region of Peel and Black community and faith organizations across the GTHA have been stepping up in a big way to provide those in need with shelter and food and I thank them for their efforts. But they are not equipped to deal with this issue, nor should this be expected of them.
It’s important to note that Peel Region has heavily invested in helping those in need secure affordable housing and shelter. Only 24% of our operating revenues for emergency housing flow from provincial and federal transfers, the rest is covered by Peel Region property taxpayers. Despite these investments, we are spending approximately $3.5 million a month on overflow accommodations in hotels to support the recent wave of refugees. On top of this, we’ve earmarked an additional $25 million in next year’s budget for housing support. While we are happy to help, I think you will agree, that the property tax is not the best way to raise funds for these needs.
As you are aware, the Region of Peel has applied for $19.3 million in funding for the Interim Housing Assistance Program and is patiently waiting to hear back from your ministry. With winter just around the corner and our shelters bursting at the seams, we need emergency funding from the federal and provincial governments to house these vulnerable people today. I’m afraid there will be more deaths if immediate action is not taken.
In addition to releasing IHAP funds immediately, I encourage the federal government to work with the provincial government to match funds through the Canada Ontario Housing Benefit. To match the reality on the ground, we need at least $10 million in a streamlined housing subsidy, and ask that our provincial and federal partners work with us to meet the rising demand.
We will also continue to advocate with neighbouring GTHA cities to establish a dedicated welcome centre near Pearson Airport to ensure those arriving receive federal support immediately, which will help offset the pressure on our shelters.
Welcoming refugees – people who’ve given up everything they know to flee to a new place for salvation and to escape violence and harm – is something we pride ourselves on as Canadians and Mississaugans. But welcoming has to be more than simply saying you can stay here for a while. Whatever we invest in them now will be paid back many times over as they make our country their home. We are Canadians. We need to and we can do better.
We need to work together – across all levels of government – and with community partners to ensure that those arriving in Canada find success in their new home. As a City and a Region, we will continue to make investments and we will continue to do everything possible to ensure that those arriving here in Mississauga and across the Region are set up for success in their new home.
With Canada set to welcome 500,000 immigrants every year by 2025, your leadership will be integral in ensuring that newcomers have the supports they need to not only settle in our country but to grow and thrive. The dozens of people arriving at our doorstep each day cannot afford to wait any longer. I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Chris
Acting Mayor of Mississauga
Councillor, Ward 3
CC:
Mississauga MPs
Mississauga MPPs
Peel Region Mayors
Nando Iannicca, Chair of the Region of Peel
OBCM
Copy of Motion- October 26, 2023
