The federal government has issued over 800 departure notices to asylum claimants currently living in Windsor hotels.
The people who received notices will be expected to leave the hotel by March 3.
“This latest development raises concerns about the housing stability of asylum claimants in Windsor. With such short-term notice and limited options, there is a risk that some may experience homelessness. The situation places significant additional pressure on the city’s emergency shelter system," said Andrew Daher, Commissioner of Human and Health Services with the City of Windsor.
In Windsor, there are 902 households currently experiencing homelessness, an increase of 26 per cent from 2023. From January to October 2024, emergency shelters operated at 95 per cent capacity.
City administration is currently working with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to help find alternative housing for the asylum claimants at the hotels.
Between January 2023 and December 20, 2024, over 2,300 asylum claimants were housed in Windsor through the Interim Housing Assistance Program (IHAP).
Currently, the IRCC has a contract with the hotel owners and food providers to care for the individuals and families.
The federal government is now looking to provinces and municipalities to help shoulder the cost of the program.
The IRCC has made $1.1 billion available over three years to continue the program. It has asked municipalities to submit cost-sharing proposals for long-term sustainable plans.
"The new IHAP directives make it clear that the federal government is looking to download costs associated with the asylum claimant portfolio to Windsor taxpayers, and we’re not willing to accept that. The IHAP program should not require any municipal cost-sharing and should include long-term financial commitments from the federal government to support asylum claimants in communities across Canada, including here in Windsor," said Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens.
City administration recommends against submitting a proposal for new IHAP funding. Under new program criteria, if the city chooses to apply for funding it would be responsible for 100 per cent of the program costs after two years.