Today we’ve reached a significant milestone in our sustainable asylum claimant response: the the opening of 88 beds on the 1st floor shelter at 5100 Spectrum Way! We are opening this site in phases.
Phase One – today – involves opening the 1st floor to provide temporary shelter and supports to approximately 88 asylum claimants who are currently staying in hotels in Peel.
When renovations of the entire building are completed, we will move forward with Phase 2 and Phase 3 in the first quarter of 2025. Phase 2 involves opening an additional 500 shelter beds for asylum claimants in Peel at this site, and phase 3 is the opening of the reception centre.
The size and scale of the reception centre function, and the level of coordination we can achieve amongst municipalities, are dependent on provincial and federal funding decisions. Municipalities are aligned and working cooperatively to assist asylum claimants in our communities.
The Federal government must take steps to identify longer term housing solutions now to assist the thousands of asylum claimants in GTA shelters.