The Ethiopian Association in the Greater Toronto Area was not set up to provide shelter support, but the head of the organization said that when dozens of asylum seekers began showing up at its door seeking help, it had to adjust.
Meserat Demeke said that between late May and mid-June, at least 200 Ethiopian migrants approached the organization's office in Toronto's east end, saying they needed help accessing food and somewhere to sleep."I think we picked up about 40 people that day," Demeke told The Canadian Press, recalling the day of May 25, when the association began assisting unhoused Ethiopian migrants in Toronto. She said she personally hosted a dozen people in her home that night.
In late May, Toronto's Deputy Mayor Jennifer McKelvie sounded an initial alarm over the rise in refugee claimants seeking beds in Toronto's shelters, noting the numbers had grown by 500 per cent over the past 20 months. The city has seen asylum seekers sleeping on the sidewalks in recent weeks, unable to get a space in the shelter system.
This week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said it was"unacceptable" that, in Canada,"vulnerable asylum-claimants" have to sleep on the streets, but stressed the solution required co-ordination with all levels of government. The Ethiopian association has rented a long-term Airbnb for just under $8,000 a month and rented another residential unit in Oshawa, Ont., to house several dozen recent asylum seekers, Demeke said.
Outside the Ethiopian community, other institutions have warned that their efforts to help asylum seekers have strained scarce resources.
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
NL Search and Rescue Association Seeing Rise in CallsSummer is a busy time of year as more people are engaged in outdoor recreational activities, however, this als...
Read more »
Montreal home sales on pace with last July, above historical average, real estate association saysThe Quebec Professional Association of Real Estate Brokers says home sales in Montreal for the month totalled 3,098, up one per cent from a year prior
Read more »
'A band aid': Toronto-area community groups help asylum seekers find shelterThe Ethiopian Association in the Greater Toronto Area was not set up to provide shelter support, but the head of the organization said that when dozens of asylum seekers began showing up at its door seeking help, it had to adjust.
Read more »
Toronto home sales and prices up from last year, but momentum slowsToronto housing market is losing momentum in the face of higher interest rates and low inventories, say market watchers. Read more
Read more »
Toronto home sales and prices up from last July, down from June: TRREB - BNN BloombergThe Toronto Regional Real Estate Board says home sales, listings and prices were up in July compared with last year, but activity looks to be slowing in the face of higher interest rates.
Read more »
Toronto home sales and prices up from last year, but momentum slowsToronto housing market is losing momentum in the face of higher interest rates and low inventories, say market watchers. Read more
Read more »