City council has voted 42-1 in favour of spending $600,000 on a new program aimed at helping Syrian refugees resettle in Toronto with Rob Ford casting the lone vote against the idea.
According to a staff report, the “Syrian Resettlement Program” will see the creation of an inter-division team that can help to “identify and mobilize the internal resources” that can be provided to refugees by the City of Toronto as well as an inter-agency task force that can help “coordinate and streamline” the resources that can be provided to refugees by non-profit organizations, such as the Red Cross of Canada and Lifeline Syria.
As part of the program, a website will also be created to provide more information about various supports that are available.
Meanwhile, city staff will study the possibility of creating an emergency fund that would serve as a security in the event that residents are not able to follow through on a promise to sponsor a Syrian refugee. The estimated cost of sponsoring a family's immigration to Canada is $5,000.
“Experience shows that the greatest number of refugees settle in large urban areas, where there are supports available, as well as already established ethnic communities,” a staff report on the program reads. “Although it will take another couple of months until it becomes clear how many Syrian refugees Canada will commit to resettle, it is clear that the City of Toronto needs to take urgent action to prepare for their arrival.”
The staff report also asked council to approve the hiring of a permanent staff member to oversee the program; however that item was rejected in a separate vote.
Council then subsequently directed Mayor John Tory to write a letter to the federal government requesting additional funding for the refugee resettlement program in the areas of affordable housing, social assistance and child care.
In a message posted to Twitter following the votes, Ward 20 Coun. Joe Cressy said he was “exceptionally proud” of city council for helping to create “Canada's first municipal Syrian Resettlement Program.”
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