Toronto churches housing refugees on verge of financial collapse

As the city pleads for more funding from the federal government for its struggling shelter system, Black-led faith groups that have kept countless refugees off Toronto’s streets are also squeezed, leaving new claimants and those already in their care at risk of spending the coldest season on the sidewalks. 

Since the summer, dozens of recent arrivals to Canada have called Etobicoke’s Pilgrim Feast Tabernacles home. Currently, 68 refugees — and counting — are living in the strip mall on Albion Road where the church is located.

Martin Griellmore, an organizer with the church, says they have spent approximately $20,000 per week out of pocket to provide refugees with three meals a day and a safe place to lay their head at night. Now $300,000 in debt, Griellmore told CityNews they are on the verge of shutting down next Thursday because of a lack of funding.

“When we do shut down, they will have nowhere to go,” said Griellmore.

Dominion Church International in North York is sounding a similar alarm. It has spent upwards of $800,000 since July sheltering 250 people. The city has reimbursed Dominion Church $190,000 for their efforts.

“We are in that financial dilemma now,” said Rev. Eddie Jjumba. “We don’t know for sure how we’re going to come out of it.”

Earlier this year, council set aside close to a million dollars to reimburse the churches for costs incurred. But amid a funding battle with Ottawa, Mayor Olivia Chow warned city hall has no more money to give.

“No one asked up, no one told us that all these refugees were going to show up,” said Chow.

Toronto has seen the number of refugee claimants in the shelter system increase from a low of 537 people in September 2021 to 4,045 as of Dec. 17. In November alone, the shelter system admitted 685 new claimants, while housing just 334 people that same month.

“New refugee claimants currently in the shelter system are coming in at twice the rate than we can support them to move into permanent housing,” said Gord Tanner, the head of Toronto’s shelter system.

In addition, 322 refugee claimant families with children are currently in temporary bridging hotel accommodations, awaiting space to become available in a family shelter program.

The city maintains it’s stretching its budget to meet needs outside of its jurisdiction.

“With the federal government missing in action, I think we’re really recognizing the peril people are in this winter,” said Councillor Alejandro Bravo. “Nobody wants to see a person arriving from abroad in a sundress, wearing flipflops.”

Griellmore said the federal immigration department has arranged to bus those living at Pilgrim Feast Tabernacles to hotel shelters in Niagara Falls, Windsor and Mississauga, possibly as soon as Saturday. Without urgent funding, Griellmore cautioned it’s likely those staying at the church will have to move on, come Dec. 28.

“The most we can say to them is that we are not getting the support of the government properly to ensure they have a safe haven here.”