Community Foundations of Canada and Federal Government

Welcome Fund for Syrian Refugees: Andrew Chunilall, chief operating officer of Community Foundations of Canada, a national network of 191 community foundations, said the funds will help 1,800 government-sponsored Syrian refugees stay in permanent housing and will bridge the gap between the amount they receive from the federal government for rent and the actual cost of a rental unit in Toronto. "Although people are in permanent housing, they need money to stay on it," he said, according to CBC. He said the money will help Syrian refugees already in Toronto for a period of six to 12 months. The money is coming from what is called the Welcome Fund for Syrian Refugees, established by Manulife, CN and General Motors to help the 25,000 government-sponsored Syrian refugees who have come to Canada. Young Syrian refugees sing O Canada at an event in Toronto on May 22, 2016. Calla said COSTI Immigrant Services, which has resettled 1,800 government-sponsored Syrian refugees in Toronto since last December, expects another 1,100 in the city by the end of the year. Mario Calla, executive director of COSTI Immigrant Services, said the new pilot program will identify "new rent-reduced units" for Syrian refugees. "The most difficult part of resettlement has been finding suitable accommodation," Calla said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.