FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - September 29, 2025

Leaders Demand Canadian Government Pay its Bill for Refugee Shelter Funding

Monday, September 29, 8:30 AM | City Hall, 100 Queen Street West, Toronto

(TORONTO) — Right now, 3,420 refugees—40% of all clients in Toronto’s shelter system—depend on city shelters. Despite this urgent need, the Canadian  government has slashed Toronto’s funding for refugee shelters by $107 million, a 74% rollback of federal support.Thousands of refugees in Toronto could soon be without shelter because the Canadian government is cutting $107 million in funding that it owes to the city. That means 1,800 fewer beds for people who have nowhere else to go.

At the same time, the federal government has the ability and must also address cuts to the Canada-Ontario Housing Benefit, or COHB — a rent supplement program which represents one of the only available  tools to house people in the City of Toronto. 

These two cuts are a recipe for disaster. One will put thousands of people on the street — ​​or force them to shelter in emergency departments, parks, and on streetcars — by defunding their shelter. The other will ensure that they can’t secure safe housing. With Toronto already facing record levels of homelessness, this decision will worsen the crisis and put lives at risk.

That is why frontline workers and leaders from across the city are gathering today, ahead of the Mayor’s Executive Committee, to join City Hall in demanding that the federal government restore its committed funding.

It’s time the federal government paid their bill. Today, we are presenting an invoice to the Government of Canada, urging them to fulfill their responsibility to refugees, claimants, and asylum seekers who rely on Toronto’s shelter system.

This is not the first time urgent action has been needed. In 2023, hundreds of refugees were abandoned on the sidewalk outside 129 Peter Street after being turned away from full shelters. Without immediate federal action, history will repeat itself.

We echo the calls in Mayor Olivia Chow’s letter and are demanding that the federal government:

  • Restore funding to cover 95% of the costs of sheltering refugees, claimants, and asylum seekers.

  • Remove the 90-day maximum shelter stay limit that pushes people back into homelessness.

  • Establish a coordinated refugee resettlement response so cities are not left to carry this burden alone.

To make matters worse, the Ford government has cut contributions to the Canada-Ontario Housing Benefit, as outlined in the Mayor’s letter to the Executive Committee. This means fewer people will be able to transition out of shelters into permanent housing.

We call on all levels of government to work together to ensure no one is left outdoors. The Canadian government must acknowledge its responsibility to cities and take immediate action to address the growing crisis of homelessness—a national human rights issue.

Speakers include:

  • Diana Chan McNally (Emcee)

  • Christopher Nkanbwe (CEO, African Centre for Refugees in Ontario-Canada)

  • Leslie Gash (Executive Director, Toronto Shelter Network)

  • Isaac Kitunzi (Pipeline Project)

  • Shula Katz (frontline community worker and advocate)

  • Dr. Samantha Green (Primary care at Street Haven)

Media Contact: Diana Chan McNally | 647 524 4250 | diana.mcnally@gmail.com

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