Waterloo region grassroots group sees rise in demand to help Ukrainians fleeing war

A year after Russia invaded Ukraine, the flow of people leaving their homes in Ukraine and movingto Waterloo region has not slowed down, saysStephanie Goertz, an organizer with the Waterloo Region Grassroots Response to the Ukrainian Crisis.

Part of that, she says, is because other groups in the province have reached their capacity at helping people find homes.

"The number of people filling out applications now has increased because we're one of the last group standing," she told Craig Norris, host of CBC Kitchener-Waterloo's The Morning Edition.

According to the Canada Border Services Agency, more than 860,000 applications have been filed with the federal government, and more than 550,000 have been approved. Out of these approved visas, only about 167,500 have been used to enter Canada between Jan. 1, 2022 and Feb. 19 of this year.

There are other groups in Waterloo region who are helping Ukrainians settle here.

The Woolwich Community Health Centre supports the Ukrainian Guest House in St. Jacobs. Rosslyn Bentley, the centre's executive director, said in an email that the house has hosted 14 families and 44 people to date.

On average, families stay about three months in the house, the former Jakobstettel County Inn bed and breakfast, before they are able to find work and move out on their own.

Earlier this year, the Hillside Residence in Maryhill opened its doors to Ukrainians fleeing the war. It has12 bedrooms and shared living spaces.

Goertz says it is difficult to know how many people have settled in Waterloo region.

"You lose them, they lose track of them. There's no accountability of where these people are going," Goertz said.

People came together to offer help, supplies

Waterloo Region Grassroots Response to the Ukrainian Crisis came together after war broke out in Ukraine last year. Goertz and other local residents wanted to help fleeing Ukrainians however they could.

Goertz rallied the support of local residents to volunteer and held many public meetings in the group's early days to figure out how to organize their efforts.

Now the group has 500 volunteers who collect donations of winter clothing, make cookies, connect new arrivals with resources and transportationand even offer up rooms in their own homes as temporary residences for families to get settled.

"We have had over 700 applications for support for either housing rental units or they're looking for help with employment or food. And so we're trying to track all those numbers and information, but we do know we have helped to find hosts or homes for around 144," Goertz said.

Most Ukrainians fleeing war are entering Canada through a temporary residence visa program known as the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel visa. This special visa allows them into the country, but they cannot access resources or funding dedicated to refugees.

Ukrainians entering Canada are given a one-time stipend of $3,000 per adult and $1,500 per child to help them get settled.

"There's no housing support. So many of the people we're finding on Facebook that are just posting and saying, 'I'm coming in a week, I have no place to live,'" Goertz said.

WATCH|Refugees in St. Jacobs reflect on Independence Day of Ukraine, coming to Canada to escape the war:

Refugees in St. Jacobs reflect on Independence Day of Ukraine

2 years ago

Duration 3:04

Wednesday marks the Independence Day of Ukraine and people staying at the Woolwich Guest House for Ukrainian refugees in St. Jacobs, Ont., share their thoughts about what it means during the war with Russia and what they want Canadians to think about the day.

Flow of families not slowing down

By the middle of thismonth, 30 families had reached out to the group asking for help to find housing in the region.This week, Goertzsaid they were called by people living in Mississauga who were at risk of becoming homeless.

This lack of support from the federal government means the community needs to step in and help if they can, she added.

The grassroots group is looking for more people who want to host Ukrainians coming to the region. Often Ukrainians are not given much time to plan and need a temporary place to stay so they can get settled and find work.

"We're looking for people who are seniors who are living on their own and would like the opportunity to share their space," Goertz said.

She said the group started a host subsidy to financially support some hosts.

"This can be an opportunity. It doesn't have to be long term. It can be short term. One month, two months, anything emergency," Goertz said.