Mayor Maintains Evictions are Happening

Thursday, 6 April 2023 07:22

By Geoff Waterfield

St. Catharines Councillor questions Jim Diodati's claims during regional council meeting

Niagara Falls' mayor is defending his claim that homeless people are being evicted from hotels for asylum seekers.

Jim Diodati says his office has received calls and emails, although some maybe not funded through public health. St. Catharines Councillor Laura Ip questioned his claims after he appeared on what she called a misogynistic podcast and website.

During regional council recently, Community Services Commissioner Adrienne Jugley said it wasn't happening, but welcomed Diodati's concerns.

"Any time you're having calls, and I think your office has been good to share some concerns... I think there was some from a retirement home.... the housing situation in Niagara is a challenge," she says.

Councillor Ip pointed out it's Community Services that helps the homeless, while the mayor asked if he should forward further concerns his office receives to public health. The federal government handles immigration, and Jugley pointed out how the difference applies here, and if the homeless are being turned away. "To my knowledge, and in our regular communication with the IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada), this is not the case. The hotels used to support asylum seekers are separate, they are not the ones we might use for some of our shelter services."

The mayor also asked for more help for food banks, pointing out usage has increased 85%. He says asylum seekers are using them even though the federal government is supposed to be feeding them. He also says people renting rooms for any given period of time have been facing eviction.

Ip also said the mayor asked the same type of questioning a few months ago, and was given the same answer.

Mayor Maintains Evictions are Happening

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