Justin Trudeau’s tweet welcoming the world’s migrants to Canada is going to cost taxpayers $26 million, and that’s just for the City of Toronto.
The federal government has pledged $15 million to provide emergency housing for migrants in Toronto. This is in addition to the $11 million it’s already coughed up to help Toronto house migrants.
“The Government of Canada will provide the City of Toronto with $15 million to address acute temporary housing shortages that are affecting many people, including asylum claimants, particularly during the winter months,” the government said in a statement on Friday.
Municipalities across Canada have begged the government for federal assistance to help deal with housing migrants caused by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
The City of Toronto has estimated that the spike in asylum seekers will cost $64.5 million over two years.
Housing the ever-increasing number of illegal border crossers has become a major problem for the cities most migrants end up in.
The Toronto has had to deal with a severe homeless shelter crisis — with shelters near capacity — exacerbated by dangerously low temperatures outside.
On Thursday, the City of Toronto’s daily overnight shelter census found that 100 per cent of family shelter spaces, 99 per cent of women’s shelter spaces and 98 per cent of men’s shelter spaces were occupied.
The main reason for such high occupancy rates has been the large number of migrants arriving in Toronto from the US border.
One city official said that as many as 20 migrants enter the homeless shelter system every day.
But homeless shelters aren’t the only place the City of Toronto is housing migrants.
A True North Centre exclusive found that two hotels in Toronto are completely occupied by migrants and the homeless.
The $26 million provided to Toronto is intended to be used for temporary housing to “ease shelter pressures for asylum claimants,” though the government’s statement acknowledges the need to develop a cost-sharing agreement with Ontario to address financial concerns down the road.
It is still unclear exactly what the government’s plan is.
