A group of refugees displaced by a fire in Coquitlam are moving out of student housing at SFU’s Burnaby campus, but they don’t want to go to their new temporary housing.
On Friday, a group of several families was upset because they have to move from a student residence building at SFU to a refugee shelter in downtown Vancouver run by Immigrant Services Society of B.C.
Five of 10 Syrian families were transferred to ISS’s downtown Welcome House on Friday, and they reported back to the remaining five families that the housing was dirty and overcrowded, with two families in each living unit.
“Moving us to a dirty (place) now, kids will get sick. We have three or four pregnant women,” said Mohammed Ali, one of the Syrian refugees and a former family physician.
Meanwhile, the mothers are bemoaning the loss of everything they owned in fire last week. Some fled with nothing but their papers, while some children were in their pajamas, without shoes.
“We don’t have anything for our children,” said Manal Okla, a mother of three who is also pregnant.
Ali’s 10-year-old daughter, Hala, explained how the children are affected.
“Today’s a bad day,” she said. “The people are upset. When we see our parents upset, we are upset, too.”
The Syrian families came to Canada several months ago and were living in an apartment building in Coquitlam that went up in flames.
The Coquitlam Foundation started a fund to help the families. Janet Toddington, chair of the foundation’s board, said they raised $23,000 with more donations coming in. The money goes to the Coquitlam Firefighters’ Charitable Society, which is buying gift cards for the families. To donate, go to www.coquitlamfoundation.comand click on the Donate Now button on the bottom, right side of the main page and specify what the money is for.
The NOW contacted Chris Friesen, executive director of ISS, for comment, but he was unavailable. In past interviews with the NOW, Friesen has said the Lower Mainland lacks affordable housing that’s big enough to accommodate large families, making it difficult to rehouse refugees.
Chris Stephenson, the society’s communications coordinator, said the organization is trying to find the families permanent housing, and that ISS has put out a call out for 10 two-bedroom apartments available immediately or by Sept. 1. Anyone with housing leads can email [email protected]. The society is also hiring additional staff to help house the families.
