Ottawa, Ont. – As the federal government winds down its hotel housing program for asylum seekers on Sept. 30, dozens of families in Ottawa are facing uncertainty and potential homelessness.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) confirmed earlier this summer that funding for hotel operations would cease, affecting 136 asylum claimants in one Ottawa hotel — many of them families with young children. The department has spent an estimated $1.1 billion on temporary hotel housing since 2020.
Local advocates say the transition plan is falling short. “They are terrified. They’ve been told they have to be out, and if they don’t find somewhere to live it’s not IRCC’s problem,” said Louisa Taylor, executive director of Refugee 613.
Shea Kiely of Housing Help said subsidized housing wait times span years and shelters are already at capacity. “We anticipate that Sept. 30, our phone is going to be extra busy,” she said.
Some families have already been forced outdoors, while others call city shelters daily in the hope of a bed. Legal advocates say the advice given — such as relocating to New Brunswick or renting privately — is not realistic. “The options they’ve been given are not responsive to their needs,” said Stéfanie Morris of Community Legal Services of Ottawa.
City officials confirmed family shelters are over capacity. Interim housing director Kale Brown urged families to accept IRCC’s relocation offers, admitting Ottawa “does not have the resources to accommodate additional asylum claimants.”
But relocation brings its own challenges. In New Brunswick, Olivia Huynh of the Refugee Clinic said her province faces the same housing crunch and lacks legal aid resources for refugee claimants. “We really need to prioritize their well-being and not treat them as bargaining chips,” she said.
Advocates warn that uprooting families again will disrupt jobs, schooling, and community ties already built in Ottawa. “They’re people who experienced persecution and who have come here because they needed a safe haven,” Morris said.
For now, the federal government says it is “working with other levels of government” to secure housing before the deadline, but with just days left, community groups fear many asylum seekers will be left without shelter.
