Here Are The facts

The centres will be turned into homeless shelters in the future.

There are no plans to turn the newcomer reception centres into homeless shelters. There will be no change in use of the centres without community engagement.

The centres will be built and funded through municipal tax dollars.

The newcomer reception centres will be funded by the federal government.

Asylum claimants, also known as refugee claimants or migrants, will be housed in tents.

These structures are not tents. They are similar to conventional buildings with heating, cooling, kitchen amenities, and other supports. They have been used by hospitals.

The City did not consider using existing infrastructure for these centres.

Many options were considered in consultation with third-party experts. These structures were chosen due to quick building timelines, costs, and adaptability.

These centres are a long-term housing solution for asylum claimants, and will turn into “tent cities”.

Asylum claimants will be supported in the newcomer reception centres for up to 90 days before moving into transitional or permanent housing.

The centres will be used to house families with young children.

All asylum claimants being housed in the reception centres will be women and men over 18 years old, including singles, couples or adult family members.

The City is prioritizing asylum claimants over existing residents.

The City is ensuring that community centres and recreation facilities currently being used as emergency overflow centres can be returned to their original purpose and used by Ottawa residents.

The centres are located too far from the services asylum claimants need.

The newcomer reception centres will allow for employment resources, language training, trauma support, and other on-site resettlement services to suit the unique needs of asylum claimants.

Asylum claimants are not being screened when arriving in Ottawa.

The federal agencies conduct an initial screening of all asylum claimants which includes security.