The city will have to find an additional $107 million this year to maintain emergency shelter capacity for refugee claimants after the federal Interim Housing Assistance Program (IHAP) offered only 26 per cent of the requested funding for 2025. IHAP has been the main funding source for Toronto's refugee response in recent years, reimbursing about 95 per cent of related municipal expenses. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) reported significant interest in IHAP and said funding requests exceeded available allocations. The new IHAP model prioritizes cost-effective, sustainable solutions and long-term capacity building, including reception centres and temporary housing, to reduce costs and improve claimant outcomes.
In a letter sent to council members Wednesday, Chow said the city will have to come up with an additional $107 million this year to continue to provide emergency shelter to refugee claimants at its current level, after the federal government offered just 26 per cent of the funding the city requested through the Interim Housing Assistance Program (IHAP) for 2025.
In a statement, Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) said there was "significant interest" in the Interim Housing Assistance Program in recent years and that funding requests exceeded the amount allocated to it. "Grant amounts were largely based on the information applicants provided about their demonstrated need, cost-effectiveness, and the expected results of their projects," the statement reads. Going forward, the new IHAP model focuses on "cost-effective, sustainable solutions and long-term capacity building across Canada," IRCC said.
Collection
[
|
...
]