Windsor has seen a slight drop in the number of asylum claimants residing in the city.
During Wednesday's Community Services Standing Committee meeting, committee members dealt an administration report that provided an update on the number of asylum claimants living in the city.
The report states, as of April 9, 839 asylum claimants are residing in the city at two city hotels.
Commissioner of Human and Health Services Andrew Daher says last May and June, there were roughly 1400 asylum claimants residing at three hotels in the city.
He says the city is still taking on asylum claimants in the community but the numbers are significantly lower than where they were before.
"What was three hotels, have now gone back to only two hotels that they're using and that they're basically leasing out the entire buildings and all of the rooms," he says. "So we're down to about currently as we speak 840 or so asylum claimants that are between the hotels."
Daher says the city continues to monitor the situation with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC.)
"Stephen Lynn and the team is meeting with IRCC on at least a monthly basis to say this will be a concern, what is the federal government's plan for these hotels and these asylum claimants over the next few months," says Daher.
He says IRCC has confirmed the federal government has extended the agreements with the hotels until June 30 with a further extension until September 2024.
"After that we've been very very clear that if they do not have a pathway and there is not a plan, it is going to impact our shelters and most importantly it's also going to impact our housing and as you all know our vacancy rates are probably the lowest it's ever been in our history," he says. "So that is a concern but we're continuing to monitor it. We're working very closely with the IRCC and the federal government.
Daher says 436 hotel rooms are being used for the asylum claimants.
According to the report, IRCC contacted city staff in late December 2022 with information about IRCC providing temporary accommodations in Windsor for asylum claimants entering Canada.
The federal government is providing funding for asylum claimant hotel rooms and meals.
In March 2023, city council approved sending a letter to IRCC stating Windsor doesn't have the capacity or resources to support any additional asylum claimants beyond those already in temporary accommodations.