City of London missed application deadline for federal reimbursement of shelter costs for asylum claimants
Efforts at city hall to get reimbursed by the federal government for costs incurred by asylum seekers might be too late.
On Wednesday, city staff reported 11.9 per cent of emergency shelter beds have been occupied by asylum claimants, costing the emergency homeless shelter system more than $1 million over the 11-month period, dating back to May.
However, MP Peter Fragiskatos said the city missed the deadline to apply for reimbursement of eligible costs from the federal government’s Interim Housing Assistance Program (IHAP).
"The unfortunate thing here is that the window for applying for that funding has come to a close,” Fragiskatos told CTV News. “What‘s very unfortunate is that city administration and colleagues on [council] had an opportunity to raise this issue during the early stages, I'm talking months ago, when this was first brought up in the fall."
He added that other municipalities and service providers already applied to be reimbursed.
In an emailed statement to CTV News on Wednesday, civic administration explained that their staff already have council direction to apply for IHAP funds, and that direction came from council in November when the impacts of asylum claimants on the local shelter system was first discussed.
On November 28, council passed a motion directing staff to:
- Report back to Council on the impacts of asylum claimants on our local shelter system. Based on the findings from the staff report, that staff apply, if appropriate, for Interim Housing Assistance Program (IHAP) funding, if necessary, to address the impacts on local shelters.
Between May 1, 2023 and March 31, 2024, there were 123 individual asylum claimants who spent a total of 11,073 nights in emergency shelter beds— 11.9 per cent of the city’s capacity.
At an average cost of $96.66/night, shelter costs have exceeded $1 million.
An additional $31,500 has been spent on hotel/motel rooms for families waiting for space to become available at Rotholme family shelter.
The actual number of asylum seekers in shelters is likely even higher.
The report acknowledges limitations in the data because some people may not disclose their personal information and others may be accessing shelters that do not utilize the database.
Fragiskatos said while some other communities face a much higher percentage of asylum claimants in their emergency shelters, the 12 per cent in London is “not insignificant.”
He added that despite the communications gap, he’ll try to secure federal funds to reimburse eligible costs.
"We need to see the numbers, we needed to see those a long time ago, but I'm glad to work with the City of London,” Fragiskatos said. “Anyone in the city who wants to share that information, I can communicate that with Immigration [officials] in Ottawa and we can move from there."
Council’s Community and Protective Services Committee will consider the report detailing asylum claimants in emergency shelters during a meeting April 29.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trump confronts repeated boos during raucous Libertarian convention speech
Donald Trump was booed repeatedly while addressing Saturday night’s Libertarian Party National Convention.
This type of screen time has the worst effect on kids: experts
According to some experts, there is one type of screen time that is continuously excessive, and it's having a severe effect on our children.
Family of toddler found dead at small-town Ont. daycare no closer to answers after year of investigation
A year has passed since two-year-old Vienna Irwin was found on the property of a home-based daycare in small-town Ontario, but her family says they are no closer to answers of what happened that day.
Grayson Murray, two-time PGA Tour winner, dead at 30
Two-time PGA Tour winner Grayson Murray died Saturday morning at age 30, one day after he withdrew from the Charles Schwab Cup Challenge at Colonial.
Humboldt Broncos crash victims and families react to decision to deport truck driver
The family of one of the victims of the Humboldt Broncos bus crash in 2018 says they are 'thankful' for a decision by a Calgary immigration board to deport the driver of the truck involved.
Fatal plane crash reported near Squamish, B.C.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada has confirmed it is working with local Mounties and the BC Coroners Service after a plane crash near Squamish, B.C. Friday night.
'God forgives but we don’t': Loud outburst from stabbing victim’s family during sentencing hearing
An emotional outburst in a London, Ont. courtroom Friday disrupted the sentencing hearing of a woman who pleaded guilty for her part in the death of 29-year-old Mohammed Abdallah.
Three dead after vehicle plunged down a 100-foot embankment in Shediac, N.B.
Three people have died after a vehicle veered off the road in Shediac N.B., Friday morning.
Appeal denied for Edmonton soldier accused of trying to kill her 3 children
An Edmonton woman found guilty of trying to kill her three children has been denied an appeal.