Canada needs a comprehensive, national plan for refugee claimant housing

With emergency shelters overwhelmed, and alarming headlines telling of refugee claimants sleeping on the streets in Toronto and other major Canadian cities, this is a problem that can no longer be ignored.

Immigration Minister Marc Miller, left, and Housing Minister Sean Fraser. Walking the extra mile to provide a warm welcome is in the DNA of communities across the country, but we need more leadership from the federal government, write Emilio Rodriguez and Allan Reesor-McDowell.The Hill Times photographs by Andrew Meade

Opinion

BY EMILIO RODRIGUEZ, ALLAN REESOR-MCDOWELL

April 3, 2024

In 2023, 143,785 people filed refugee claims in Canada, a significant increase compared to the record high of 91,730 people in 2022. Despite these numbers, the government lacks a comprehensive and co-ordinated plan to address the short- and long-term housing needs of refugee...

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