The City of Windsor is highlighting important changes to the federal government's asylum claimants process and the Interim Housing Assistance Program (IHAP).
In a news conference Wednesday, mayor Drew Dilkens announced that the city is currently still housing nearly 730 asylum claimants in two hotels after they were moved there by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) in January 2023.
Currently, the federal government is responsible for providing all funding for housing the asylum claimants, and feeding them.
However, IRCC has issued departure notices for at least 840 asylum claimants in the two Windsor hotels by March 3, raising concerns about increased homelessness and pressure on local shelters.
Of the departure notices issued for the 846 asylum claimants, 191 people were issued to leave by January 15 and they have all found accommodations or have left the municipality. 136 people have been issued departure notices for February 3 where 34 have found other accommodations, and the remaining 102 have not. Lastly, 519 people were issued departure notices for March 3, where 16 have found other accommodations and the remaining 503 have not.
The city received $106,000 under IHAP for expenses related to these claimants and will apply again by January 31 to recover 2024 costs.
Changes to IHAP mean that financial and resource responsibilities will now be shifting to municipalities and provinces. The IRCC announced $1.1-billion for 2024 to 2027 to help with the situation, but there will be increased cost-sharing requirements and a need for municipal or provincial funding in 2025 and 2026, with full funding required in 2027 and later.
Dilkens says the IHAP program aimed to address housing needs of asylum claimants.
"Now we are facing significant changes coming to the IHAP initiative, leases for hotel rooms expiring by March 31, 2025, no solid commitment to extend those leases, and the federal government is requiring municipalities to begin shouldering the financial and resource burdens associated with delivering this federal program."
He says there are concerns with the city taking over in 2027.
"With federal funding to support this initiative ending in 2027 municipalities will not only be required to create a long-term sustainable plan to dealing with this issue, but will also be required to commit significant funding, and accept increased burdens on the municipal emergency shelter system."
Dilkens says with such short-term notice and limited options there's a risk that some of the asylum claimants may experience homelessness.
"This places significant pressure back on the city's emergency shelter system, while we have been told by IRCC that no families and children will be left on the streets, and that exceptions will be made until such time that accommodations can be found - but what about the rest of the folks?"
Dilkens states that the city would have to put forward a long-term sustainable plan with the funding outlined. If all funding criteria are met, the city and the province would be required to contribute a combined five per cent of program costs in the first year, 25 per cent in the second year, and 100 per cent of the costs by 2027 and beyond.
City council will be presented with a report on Monday (Jan 27), with administration recommending against applying for the new IHAP funding due to the cost-sharing requirements and lack of federal funding after 2027.
Instead, administration will suggest that council advocate for long-term federal funding that does not require municipal cost-sharing.