Toronto Faces Growing Refugee Shelter Crisis as Funding Cuts Strain Local Supports

At a recent Toronto Executive Committee meeting chaired by Mayor Olivia Chow, community leaders, housing advocates, and residents spoke out against devastating federal and provincial funding cuts to the city’s shelter and housing programs. In neighbourhoods like Regent Park—where many newcomers and refugees continue to rebuild their lives—these cuts are deeply personal. They threaten the city’s ability to provide basic shelter, leaving thousands at risk of homelessness. Currently, 3,420 refugees, nearly 40 percent of all clients in Toronto’s shelter system, rely on city shelters each night. But reductions to the Canada-Ontario Housing Benefit and federal refugee shelter funding have left a growing gap—one that could lead to higher property taxes or force people back onto the streets. At City Hall, speakers urged the federal government to restore the $107 million in funding, remove restrictive shelter stay limits, and create a coordinated national response to refugee housing. Their testimonies underscored the human cost behind the numbers—families seeking safety, now uncertain of where they’ll sleep. For Regent Park residents, the discussion goes beyond statistics or budgets. It raises urgent questions about how Canada supports those fleeing conflict and poverty, and whether urban neighbourhoods like ours can continue to shoulder the burden of a system stretched to its limits.