Housing for refugees

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Hundreds of Syrian refugees now call Hamilton home. Wesley Urban Ministries is helping families to resettle here with different resources and workshops but there are some challenges.

Wesley has welcomed more than 550 government sponsored refugees since mid December and they expect that number to grow to almost 900 by the end of this month. One of the biggest issues is finding housing for all these families. So far about 25% of the refugees they’ve welcomed have been moved into permanent homes.

Today a workshop with Hamilton Urban Core Community healthcare was held, teaching about dental health. Three priorities for the first few weeks are, housing, education and health. The oral health workshop is just one of the many ways Wesley is partnering with members of the community to help these refugees settle in Hamilton.Wesley says the large influx of refugees all at once has been difficult, and they rely on community partners to help with the efforts.

The more than 500 that they’ve welcomed so far doesn’t include privately sponsored families who have resettled in the city. Wesley also offers information sessions for people who may be interested in private sponsorship or acting as a host family.