ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½

“The first thing that helps you clear your mind is housing,” said Fatuma, 41, who asked her last name withheld for the safety of her family back home. “Once you’ve got that, then you can settle.”

Two summers ago, Greater ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ and other Canadian cities saw a surge in asylum seekers from African countries. An already stretched social services system and a severe lack of shelter beds led many newly arrived refugee claimants to sleep outdoors.Ìý

Community groups stepped up to fill the gaps when municipalities started to turn these asylum seekers away. While these organizations are the ones the newcomers make instant connections and feel comfortable with, they did not have the proper resources and infrastructure to meet those needs.

The crisis prompted United Way Greater ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ to commission a new report, released on Tuesday, looking at the unique challenges African asylum seekers and community groups face — and offer solutions.

“What permeated was, of course, the anti-Black racism,” said Adaoma Patterson, the non-profit organization’s director of community impact.

“Whether it was accessing housing, whether it was trying to access the services and culturally appropriate supports, employment, that was one of the things through the experience that was highlighted, that compounded the challenges and their ability to really move forward quickly.” 

Based on in-depth interviews with 29 African asylum seekers and nine service providers, as well as discussions through community forums, securing affordable housing was identified as the most pressing concern. The report also found:

•Employment barriers faced by African refugees due to foreign credential bias and racism, with one claimant “being told directly by an interviewer that they would not hire a Black person or an African”;

•A lack of culturally appropriate services in a fragmented system, leading to inconsistent information about the asylum process and available supports;

•Relocation doesn’t solve the problem as many who moved outside of Greater ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ also face racism, legal hurdles and limited employments, forcing their return to the region.

“We heard loud and clear the importance of (under-resourced) faith community and faith organizations working with social services and community service organizations to provide that full care that’s important for many African asylum seekers,” said Patterson.

Black-led organizations and groups that serve the Black community play a key role in supporting these refugees by understanding the challenges, and providing the appropriate response and “safe space where anti-Black racism isn’t an issue” and help them navigate the system, she said.

Despite the issues around affordable housing, some ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ community organizations are building partnerships and finding solutions.

This month, Fatuma moved into the transitional housing pilot project operated by the Rwandan Canadian Healing Centre, supported by the Northpine Foundation and African Canadian Collective, a coalition helping African refugees and Black communities in Canada.Ìý

Although she has a bachelor’s degree in urban planning and worked in that field in Uganda, she said she has been told she doesn’t have the qualifications for those jobs in Canada.Ìý

“I was stuck,” said Fatuma, who will start a free training program this fall to be a personal support worker. “The environment here itself is homely. It’s so different. Few people are moving around. It helps you settle.”

This is how the project works. The operator uses Northpine’s $1 million investment to secure a block of apartments at a discount from landlords who are paid market-rate rent but make a charitable donation based on the discounted amount to the African Canadian Collective, to reinvest into the initiative.

This model, already tested in Montreal, ensures affordability for tenants while allowing landlords a year of rental incomes upfront and tax reductions via their donations. Meanwhile refugees are supported on site for employment, mentorship and skill training through other immigrant service providers — services usually only available to permanent residents and citizens, said Kizito Musabimana, founder and executive director of the Rwandan centre.

“It’s almost like they’re coming to a family as opposed to being a part of an institution,” he said. “They are getting what they need to move on in society.”

The building, owned by a Black family, has 12 furnished units, each shared by four refugees at $550 a month per person. Tenants must leave when they secure employment and save up, hopefully within a year.

Ernest was thrilled to move in this month after a year in a ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ homeless shelter. The surgical nurse from Kenya said he didn’t feel safe sharing accommodation in a hall with 50 strangers.

“You’re sharing four bathrooms, four washrooms,” said the 33-year-old, who seeks protection as a sexual minority and asked that his last name not be published. “You can’t cook. Lights out at 9 p.m. Lights on at 6 a.m.

“Now I don’t have to carry my laptop everywhere. I don’t have to carry my documents. There’s a door. I have a key.”

Jean de Dieu Basabose, the United Way report’s lead researcher, said establishing a centralized service hub that provides access to wraparound supports from community groups and social service providers would be instrumental in creating a culturally responsive and trauma-informed environment to serve African asylum seekers.

“Collaboration is key to success,” said de Dieu Basabose, himself a former refugee from Africa.

United Way Greater ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ will invest $400,000 to fund projects by CAFCAN Social Services and African Community Services of Peel to support 200 African asylum seekers — helping 50 secure stable housing — and design a model to better co-ordinate services in case of a future wave of arrivals.Ìý