"Isaac Tumuramye has called the Willowdale Welcome Centre home since he came to Toronto from Uganda two years ago. But the shelter, which serves refugees experiencing homelessness in Toronto, is closing at the end of May. Tumuramye says he's scared about what the future holds and others staying at the shelter feel the same. "We're not ready yet, we're still trying to make life happen," he said."
"But back in 2023, many Black-led organizations, including churches, managed to do what no government did: move hundreds of asylum seekers off downtown Toronto streets. A year later, an ombudsman report found that the city's decision to stop allowing refugees access to beds in its base shelter system amounted to anti-Black racism, a claim the city manager refuted at the time. Eddie Jjumba, senior pastor at Milliken Church, says it's hard to not feel on edge about this closure after what he witnessed back then."
Willowdale Welcome Centre, a shelter for refugees experiencing homelessness in Toronto, will close at the end of May. More than 200 refugees currently live there and face uncertain housing prospects. The city will not renew the North York lease as part of a transition to lower-cost, long-term shelter strategy. Many residents struggle with landlord requirements like credit reports despite working full- and part-time jobs. Black-led community organizations previously housed asylum seekers during the 2023 crisis. Advocates fear similar community intervention may be necessary again to prevent people from becoming homeless.
Read at www.cbc.ca
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