Governments Failed Refugees Being Sheltered by Churches

The stunning generosity of this church, two others and dozens of volunteers, as well as black-led social agencies for immigrants meant asylum seekers were fed, got clothing looked after while the government argued about who was responsible and Toronto lobbied the federal government for funds. A few days later a shamed federal government pledged $97 million but the city said this was not enough. However plans were made to offer refugees hotel rooms.

Pastor Judith James from Revivalism showed a remarkable dedication  to the refugees, most of whom are from Africa: “We are not going to stop ensuring  that our people see that even when Canada turns their back on them our community will always fight for our community.”

She is shocked that when black activists and volunteers have taken the refugees off the street apparently the government thought the issue was solved. It was not. Expenses looking after scores of refugees still not housed ran into the thousands. They waited to see something from the $97 million pledged which appeared to be caught up in the bureaucracy. James said, “The Church stepped in because the state checked out.” 

So, volunteers continued to cook and look after the refugees and expenses mounted. It was only on August 25 that finally the city got the funds. A day later the church said goodbye to the last refugees who now had hotel rooms.

For weeks the federal government indifference to real need was shameful and the actions of the black church community a powerful example of faith in action that we see all too little of from the established churches. But as James insists, they should not have had to do government’s work in the first place..

This untenable situation can be seen as the sharp end of the endlessly debated “housing crisis”. The 5.8 Million housing deficit enumerated by CHMC somehow seems disconnected from the homeless on the mean streets of Toronto and all over the GTA . All there people want is a room with a room that locks. Charities, not developers have been trying to humanize how they are looked after for decades. Now we have churches saving hundreds of people we have allegedly welcomed to Canada but were relegated to camping on the street. Toronto shelters over 10,000 homeless most nights. Can’t we do better? 

It’s ironic that while Justin Trudeau stood proudly in front of his cabinet following the recent retreat in PEI and admitted there was no silver bullet to solve the housing crisis but how seriously they were taking it, This while these churches in Toronto continued to shelter the refugees waiting for support or housing for them.

Tommy Douglas once said: “We are all in this world together and the only test of our character that matters is how we look after the least fortunate among us.“ Indeed.

Canada will be judged not by how many houses we build for the middle class but whether or not we can house and rehabilitate the most needy – those with no home at all. This is a moral imperative, as well as a social imperative for our big cities. It is one that was answered by black church members in Toronto, but must be answered by governments.