London is getting a $250,000 funding boost to aid in the resettlement of Syrian refugees in the city.
Community Foundations of Canada announced the contribution to the London United for Refugees initiative Friday. The money comes from the Welcome Fund for Syrian Refugees, backed by Manulife, CN, and General Motors.
The bulk of the funding will be used to create accessible and affordable housing for refugees.
"It's important so that we are not putting these people in a place and then having to move them somewhere else," says Martha Powell, president and CEO of the London Community Foundation. "We are also going to be providing funding through the United Way and the Cross Cultural Learner Centre. They're on the ground, they know what the needs are. We need to look at funding skills training, language classes, and getting their children into the right schools."
As of Thursday, London has welcomed 915 government-assisted Syrian refugees with more to come.
"Our projection is to have 800 or 900 more come to London in the near future," says Valerian Marochko, executive director of the Cross Cultural Learner Centre.
He says the refugees who have already arrived are eager to learn about their new home.
"They're making out very well. They are happy because they are safe.They are going through the process of discovering what Canada is all about. That gives them a lot of excitement," says Marochko.
Mayor Matt Brown, Deputy Premier Deb Matthews, and London North Centre MP Peter Fragiskatos were also on hand for the funding announcement.
"Housing is so critical to establishing a sense of belonging and a sense of place. If you don't have those two things then you can't have an integrated community," says Fragiskatos. "Our government is making housing a priority. We haven't focused on housing in this country in a long time. This issue is providing an opportunity to put housing on the agenda."
