Toronto Mayor Oliva Chow has threatened to raise property taxes for residents due to the city’s $78M million ($107 Candian) shortfall from the surge in migrants.
During a Monday news conference, the liberal Canadian politician revealed the city’s reserved funds are exhausted.
‘We have been providing shelter to people who arrive to Toronto fleeing violence, war and persecution, but now the federal government won’t pay their bills for the service,’ Chow, 68, said.
‘And the city is short by $107 million. We can either stop sheltering refugee claimants, leave them on the street, which will make homelessness worse, reversing the progress we made on reducing the number of encampments, or Torontonians will have to pay for it through their property taxes,’ she continued.
‘Neither is fair. So the government, the federal government, must fulfill its responsibility, which is taking care of refugees and refugees claimants.’
When questioned about how much Toronto would need to raise property taxes, Chow said it would have to be by ‘at least two percent’ in order to cover the costs.
She said the city plans to explore this change during its upcoming budget meeting.
Despite her new move, Chow has not offered to lessen her salary or to halt her costly trade missions.
Toronto Mayor Oliva Chow threatened to raise resident’s property taxes to help with the $107 million [about $78 million USD] shortfall that came from sheltering migrants
Chow said an ‘at least two percent’ property tax raise would have to happen in order to cover the costs for asylum seekers. (Pictured: Refugees in Toronto)
She recently went on a trip to London and Dublin in July that cost taxpayers more than $32,000 [$22,991 USD], the Toronto Sun reported. Chow also attended the Toronto International Film Festival earlier this month.
She makes about $225,000 [$161,661 USD] a year, according to a 2024 Ontario Sunshine List, which shows annual Government information.
The city council just recently received a $33,000-a-year [$23,710 USD] raise, the Toronto Sun said.
Torontonians saw their taxes increase by seven percent in 2023, 9.5 percent in 2024 and 6.9 percent last year, per the outlet.
If the proposed two percent tax raise is added to that, the increase could exceed 25 percent.
That total does not include the regular property taxes that homeowners are set to pay as part of Chow’s 2026 budget.
According to a report reviewed by CTV News, staff are predicting an adverse year-end operating value of $105.4 million [around $76 million USD].
That outcome mainly stems from low funding from the Interim Housing Assistance Program (IHAP) – a federal program that provides funding to cities to manage the financial impact from the influx of asylum seekers and the homeless population.
Pierre Poilievre, a conservative member of the House of Commons of Canada, blasted Chow for her proposal
Chow’s response to the lack of funds enraged locals, especially conservatives.
‘Liberals overwhelm Toronto with fake asylum seekers forcing property taxes up on Canadians struggling to pay their mortgages,’ Pierre Poilievre, a conservative member of the House of Commons of Canada, said on X.
‘We must fix the broken Liberal immigration system.’
Another wrote: ‘Here I thought maybe she was threatening to tax more to INVEST, like in a subway line. But no. Blow it on welfare.’
‘Citizens should get a vote on it if it causes taxes to go up!,’ wrote another.
Meanwhile, other users said citizens should pay the proposed tax increase because they ‘literally voted for this.’
‘No sympathy. Toronto residents voted for this multiple times since 2015. They should pay,’ wrote another.
‘Wokerontonians getting exactly what they voted for. I don’t feel bad for you at all,’ someone else chimed in.
Chow previously managed to get money from the federal government to help with migrants who were sleeping on the streets of Toronto in 2023.
The crisis then sparked the opening of a new welcome center specifically for refugees located near Toronto Pearson International Airport.
Some have been left outraged by Chow’s announcement, while others said it’s what many Toronto residents voted for. (Pictured: Several migrants seen outside a shelter in Toronto)
Chow at the Princess of Wales Theatre attending the Toronto Film Festival on September 8
While many agree her plea for money is not the answer, local organizations that focus on helping refugees agree with her.
Progress Toronto, a city civic group, held a protest Monday morning calling for the federal government to support the IHAP and Canada-Ontario Housing Benefit (COHO) programs.
They went on to say that the reduction in funding has created ‘a recipe for disaster.’
‘We call on all levels of government to work together to ensure no one is left outdoors,’ the group said.
‘The Canadian government must acknowledge its responsibility to cities and take immediate action to address the growing crisis of homelessness—a national human rights issue,” the group said in a statement.’
The Daily Mail contacted Chow for comment.
