Government of Canada: New funding to support housing for asylum claimants

With increasing global migration, Canada is experiencing a rise in the number of people claiming asylum. While housing and supports for asylum claimants are the responsibility of provinces and municipalities, the federal government recognizes the need for all orders of government to work together to address the rise in the number of people claiming asylum in Canada.

Today, the Honourable Marc Miller, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, announced an additional $362.4 million in funding for the Interim Housing Assistance Program (IHAP) as part of the 2023–2024 fiscal year. Through the IHAP, the Government of Canada provides funding to provincial and municipal governments, on a cost-sharing basis, to address extraordinary interim housing pressures resulting from increased volumes of asylum claimants.

This new funding will support provinces and municipalities experiencing a surge in demand for shelter space and help prevent asylum claimants from experiencing homelessness. Today’s funding is in addition to the $212 million in national funding made available last summer through IHAP.

The Government of Canada will continue to work with provinces and municipalities to better respond to the number of people seeking refuge in Canada, while taking into account the social and infrastructure pressures being faced in our communities. We will continue to work together, across all orders of government, to find long-term solutions.