The federal government has spent over $426 million in the fiscal year on temporary accommodations for asylum claimants, with a significant portion going towards hotels. In Calgary, finding affordable permanent homes for refugees is becoming a pressing issue. Currently, there are 126 government-assisted refugees in Calgary living in temporary accommodations, down from the previous year when there was a bottleneck in moving people to permanent housing due to a lack of available housing and a large number of arrivals at once.
Wilton Otto, a refugee from Sudan, has finally found a place to call home in Calgary after fleeing war and living in Egypt and Hong Kong. Otto expressed gratitude for Canada’s welcoming attitude towards newcomers and the support he has received from the Calgary Catholic Immigration Society, which provides temporary accommodation for refugees in hotels. However, Otto and his wife have found it challenging to secure permanent housing, facing obstacles such as proof of income and employment requirements from property owners.
While refugees typically stay in hotels for three to four weeks before moving to permanent housing, the duration can vary depending on family size or accessibility needs. Calgary Catholic Immigration Centre director Bindu Narula emphasized the importance of providing refugees with a stable home where they feel comfortable and safe. She highlighted the stress and anxiety caused by living in limbo in temporary accommodations and stressed the need for affordable permanent housing solutions in Calgary, such as repurposing older buildings or implementing policies similar to those in countries like Norway and Germany.
Narula called attention to the rising rent prices in Calgary, making it even more challenging for refugees to find affordable housing. She suggested that the city could consider implementing policies like subsidizing a percentage of new developments for affordable housing to address the housing crisis in Calgary. Additionally, she highlighted the importance of immigration in addressing labor shortages in the construction industry. The federal government, through the Interim Housing Assistance Program (IHAP), provides funding to address the increased volume of asylum claimants and alleviate pressures on provinces and municipalities.
The Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has been transferring asylum claimants from shelters to funded hotels across Canada to provide temporary housing. As of March 11, IRCC has 4,056 hotel rooms in six provinces to accommodate asylum claimants. The temporary accommodations were initially introduced in 2020 to quarantine asymptomatic asylum seekers without suitable quarantine arrangements. Since then, IRCC has accommodated approximately 51,600 asylum claimants. Canada, like many other countries, is facing unprecedented flows of migrants and refugees, and IRCC continues to work with provinces and municipalities to address the increased need for temporary housing for asylum claimants.
