Hotel in Pickering set to house asylum seekers

The Region of Durham, which includes municipalities such as Oshawa, Ajax, Pickering, Whiby and Clarington, recently announced plans to convert an existing hotel into temporary housing for asylum seekers.

Recently, the region announced that it purchased a former Comfort Inn (533 Kingston Road) in Pickering and will transform the property into the Durham Reception Centre—a site that will offer temporary accommodation and support for asylum claimants arriving through the Durham Humanitarian Response Program (DHRP). 

The purchase of the hotel, which sits on a 2.84-acre site, was funded by the federal Interim Housing Assistance Program. 

The DHRP is operated by the Community Development Council Durham and has been the region’s primary mechanism for coordinating temporary accommodations and settlement services since 2023. 

According to the DHRP, the number of asylum claimants has been increasing in recent years. Asylum seekers typically arrive in Canada with limited resources, no stable housing and few local connections or avenues for support. 

Unlike refugees who come to Canada with government assistance, asylum claimants submit refugee claims once they arrive in the country, and those claims are then assessed by an independent tribunal to determine their authenticity and whether the individual should be permitted to remain in Canada on humanitarian or protection grounds. 

The DHRP said asylum claimants are not eligible for most federal resettlement programs and do not receive direct federal income supports and may rely on municipalities, as well as local organizations, for help. The DHRP said it helps asylum seekers find jobs, learn English, access health care services and secure long-term housing. 

As of now, the DHRP is providing temporary housing for asylum claimants at two hotels in the region, including the former Comfort Inn in Pickering. Once fully operational, the site will house up to 250 asylum claimants and provide accommodations for up to 90 days, eliminating the need to place individuals in more expensive hotel rooms. 

A 2025 report estimated that a full-time interim housing facility for asylum claimants could cost about $7 million annually. The report said that in August 2025, the region secured $48 million in upfront IHAP funding to support capital and operating costs for the DHRP from Jan. 1, 2025, to March 31, 2027.

As of last October, the region’s program was supporting 242 claimants (or 133 households) at three different hotels across Durham. The report said that as of late last year, the Community Development Council of Durham successfully assisted 1,873 asylum claimants through the DHRP, relocating 1,628 individuals to permanent housing. 

Of those who have moved into independent living, 1,189 (63 per cent) secured housing in the region, according to the report.

Cover photo from Google Maps