By JALAL NAZARI. Community Host Program Coordinator.
As the housing crisis in Toronto deepens, finding safe and affordable accommodation for refugee claimants is becoming an increasingly daunting task. The city’s lack of affordable housing is a challenge that impacts all residents, but for refugee claimants, it is a crisis compounded by inadequate support and systemic inequities. Unlike other newcomers to Canada, who receive settlement support and accommodations through Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), refugee claimants are largely left to navigate their first days alone. The absence of comparable federal services for refugee claimants underscores a growing disparity in support systems. This lack of initial support services disproportionately affects refugee claimants, who are left at the mercy of a competitive housing market without the security of established networks or financial resources. The Canadian Council for Refugees’ campaign for Asylum with Dignity seeks to address all of these issues. Amid this crisis, where shelters are at full capacity and many refugee claimants end up living on the street, community hosts are stepping into this gap.
At Romero House, where I serve as the Community Host Program Coordinator, we are witnessing firsthand the transformative impact that community hosts have in bridging this gap. These individuals and families voluntarily open their homes to newly arrived refugee claimants, offering more than a place to stay—they offer a vital sense of security, warmth, and belonging at a time of profound uncertainty.
Despite the urgent need, funding for short-term and transitional housing initiatives remains inconsistent, often forcing organisations like ours to rely on donations and the goodwill of volunteers. We were encouraged to hear the federal government commit in the most recent budget $1.1BN to shelter for refugees over the next several years and hope to see this actually be invested. However, until systemic change occurs, community hosts remain essential advocates for dignity and compassion, offering a model of collective responsibility that not only shelters but strengthens our society as a whole.
Taking this opportunity, we express our deep gratitude to our Community Hosts. We invite others to spread the word or join our Community Host Program if they are privileged to have extra space in their home and are willing to support refugee claimants.