Toronto’s ombudsman says he is launching an investigation into the city’s decision to deny shelter access to refugee claimants and asylum seekers this past spring.
"There is no doubt that the City of Toronto is facing a housing crisis. Even so, the City has an obligation to treat all people in Toronto fairly, with dignity, respect, and care," Ombudsman Kwame Addo said in a statement Thursday. "I am launching an investigation to determine if the City's decision to deny non-refugee shelter spaces to refugee claimants and asylum seekers met that obligation.
The city's shelter system generally operates at full capacity and officials have estimated that around a third of the spaces are being used by thousands of refugees. As a result, hundreds of asylum-seekers ended up sleeping on the streets outside of a downtown shelter intake centre in the hopes that a spot might open up for them.
The provincial government also recently said that it would provide the city with $26.4 million to help house them.After taking office, Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow passed a motion calling for refugees to be able to access space in the shelter system as it becomes available, however refugees and asylum seekers have continued to struggle to access space.