Ontario Investing to Help Municipalities and Asylum Claimants

Ontario is investing $42 million to help impacted municipalities provide urgent assistance to a rapidly growing number of asylum claimants

• We have seen a growing number of asylum seekers arriving in Ontario in need of a range of critical supports, including a safe place to live.
• That is why our government is investing $42 million through the Canada Ontario Housing Benefit (COHB) program to support impacted municipalities across the province in providing urgent assistance to a rapidly growing number of asylum claimants and free up shelter space.

• Our government’s investment recognizes that immediate supports are needed to support municipalities, help asylum seekers transition into longer-term housing, and free up space within municipal shelter systems.
• We continue to strongly advocate for the federal government to step up and meet its responsibility to support municipalities and asylum claimants.
• The funding allocations given to the impacted municipalities reflect the estimated share of asylum claimants in each service manager area and their relative impact on local services, based on provincial social assistance data.