Toronto shelter workers say holidays difficult time for refugee claimants

A resident is served Holiday Brunch at Bethlehem United Shelter, in Toronto, Wednesday, Dec. 25, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young

Workers on the front line of Toronto's homeless crisis say the holiday season has been tough for those living on the streets, as colder temperatures set in along with feelings of isolation.

“Whether you're a newcomer and it's your first Christmas away from the family, whether you're Canadian-born and your family is still far away or not speaking to you for whatever reason, it's hard for people to be aware that they are not at home,” said Michalina Seidl, a case manager at Bethlehem United.

"People who are staying in a shelter are regular people. Most of the time they're the most vulnerable....So just remember to be kind to people, because you never know what they're going through.”

Valentina Diaz, a manager at Fred Victor Bethlehem United Shelter, says the season exacerbates the "emotional heaviness" homeless people face year-round.

“Having to go through life hardships on your own can be particularly hard for people that are living on the streets or in shelters,” said Diaz.

Diaz said among the homeless people struggling are refugee claimants who now make up a large portion of the people currently using the city's shelter system.

Earlier this year, the city said there had been more than 2,500 refugee claimants in the shelter system in 2023.

By the end of that year, that number had grown to nearly 4,200.

Diaz said shelters have done their best to support increased number of refugees.

“We had to open that availability of beds to them because they were coming to a new country and they didn’t have any resources or any sort of supports,” she said.

Diaz said her shelter also hosted a holiday party recently for residents with games, music and food so they feel less isolated.

“We try to make it as joyful as possible, and just make it known that even though they’re not related, there is a community here that they can support and rely on,” said Diaz.

Earlier this month, Toronto's Ombudsman Kwame Addo released a report investigating the city's May 2023 decision to stop allowing refugee claimants to access its base shelter system beds, finding that the decision was “inconsistent with city policies” and “amounted to systemic racism” as some claimants were turned away from shelters even when beds were available.

The ombudsman made several recommendations to the city, including clarifying processes for refugee claimants.

City Manager Paul Johnson wrote in a letter that he did not agree with the report’s findings and “would not take further action” in response to the recommendations.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 25, 2024.