Priest worries for Ukrainian refugees in New West

A priest at Holy Eucharist Church has both an urgent plea and a warning for the community—and for various levels of government—eight months after Russia invaded Ukraine, displacing upwards of seven million people. 

As Father Mykhailo Ozorovych speaks about the hundreds of Ukrainian refugees who have been staying in New Westminster, he admits he's disappointed some have had to leave New West for eastern Canadian provinces. 

“[The Ukrainian] people have been hosted by generous people, and all of them are generous by just opening their doors… [but] a good number of people have left British Columbia for Alberta and other provinces, and elsewhere in the world,” Ozorovych tells New West Anchor. 

“Just this morning, after [our church] service, a lady came up to me and said, ‘You know, we’re looking for housing. We’re even willing to pay.’” 

Unfortunately, the woman’s story is all too common in New West: even in cases where Ukrainian refugees can part with the money, he says the competitive rental market and having no credit history can get in the way.

Our conversation with Ozorovych comes just a day after Coun. Chinu Das spoke near the end of the Sept. 26 council meeting, asking anyone with a spare room to open their doors. Das had said that through her involvement with the Ukraine Response Committee, a working group, she’d continued to stay informed on the situation. 

“Most of their needs have been actually fairly well met: employment, skill training…but the one thing that seems to continuously be very difficult to find is housing,” Das noted. 

Ozorovych says the situation is two-fold: there are refugees who will soon no longer have their temporary place to stay, and he’s also expecting another wave of Ukrainian refugees to come to BC. 

“The war is not in the news as much. The newcomers are just other immigrants, it seems, and there is none of that generosity anymore. We’re [hoping the] local private sector and people open their basements, their spare bedrooms,” says Ozorovych, who adds that Ukrainians are still coming in the same numbers as they were in April, May, June, and throughout the whole summer.

“At this point, it’s just any kind of space where people can safely live, right? Preferably something more short-term, meaning up to three months.” Ozorovych says offering a couch or a spare bedroom is appreciated, but after a few weeks, it can become a challenge, especially if there is a family of three or four. “[The] rental housing [situation] is pretty terrible.”

“[Our church] has helped over 400 families settle in the Lower Mainland. There are five to six families every week coming to School District 40 to register their children.”

Das, who has been in regular contact with Ozorovych, says the committee has been meeting every three weeks since refugees began making their way to New Westminster. 

“At one of our last meetings, we talked with Immigrant Services Society (ISS), as well as United Way, and at that time we just found that this [issue with housing] is a crisis everywhere,” notes Das, who says both groups are working as hard as they possibly can to help the refugees settle. 

“I think when the federal government took this on, the ground-level challenges weren’t completely thought through, and so at the ground level we’re finding, by far—and it should be no surprise to anybody, we have a housing crisis—trying to find housing for the refugees has been very, very challenging,” explains Das. 

“The numbers of Ukrainian refugees that the federal government allowed to come into Canada, that was wonderful. But I think maybe we should have worked harder, between the federal government, the provincial government, and the local level agencies,” says Das, who goes on to explain that generally, the first point of contact for any refugee is typically a group like ISS. 

“But it’s the numbers we’re talking about here. The numbers that came into New West, into Canada, were so high. I don’t think we quite followed that process in general, and having the housing crisis made it really hard to find housing. I think Fr. [Ozorovych] has been expressing over and over again that that’s where the problem lies.”

‘Just opening our country’s doors was not good enough’

As Ozorovych continues to offer help, he says he is seeing some very obvious gaps in the system.

“Just opening our [country’s] doors was not good enough. You have to have systems, and maybe not whole systems, but something in place to welcome them and make them feel not only safe, but also comfortable, and to give them everything for success.” Ozorovych says the community has been trying to help with schooling and language improvements, but housing is a crucial part of the equation. 

“With the rents super high, and [units] not available, even if people could afford $3,000, it’s just not available. You’re like number 71 on the list…you could be a neurosurgeon. But right now in the eyes of strata…or a management firm, you are nobody, with no credit history, and you just got your social insurance number that allowed you to work here. But you have nothing.”

Ozorovych says he and his parish believe in a holistic approach, from meeting people at the airport, to offering English lessons and pairing families up with child care, although not everyone can offer that. 

And while Ukrainian refugees have been receiving some funding through the Canada-Ukraine authorization for emergency travel (CUAET) and a one-time $3,000 payment to help with expenses, Ozorovych says for many, that money disappears quickly. 

“You get [the money] you’d spend it on a medical exam, but nothing with housing,” says Ozorovych, though since our interview, the BC government announced it had begun to manage payment for medical diagnostic testing, like chest X-rays and blood tests, which must be completed within 90 days of arrival in the province.  

“The mandated medical examination tests can be costly, and this coverage relieves one additional pressure point for Ukranians as they focus on rebuilding their lives here in British Columbia,” Nathan Cullen, the minister responsible for immigration, said in a statement on Oct. 3. 

According to the federal government, there is no cap on the number of visa, work, and study permits it will accept under CUAET, though it also notes it is not a refugee immigration system.

"The CUAET is for Ukrainians and their family members who want to come to Canada temporarily due to the crisis resulting from president [Vladmir] Putin's invasion of Ukraine, and then return home when it is safe to do so," a section on the Government of Canada's CUAET page reads, though further down it adds that there may be some immediate and extended family members of those with Canadian citizenship or permanent residency may want to start a new life in Canada. 

"[Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada] is developing a special family reunification sponsorship pathway for permanent residence," the same page reads. The federal government has since created a page called Immigration measures and support for Ukrainians and their families outlining the steps that can be taken to bring folks here. 

What else is being done? 

For its part, the ministry of municipal affairs has told us it is coordinating a cross-government response, which includes housing and social services. 

“...The province, through BC Housing, is working on options to help find suitable, affordable housing for Ukrainians fleeing violence. The immediate focus is on housing options when people first arrive,” the ministry says in a statement to The Anchor, noting that many of the families that have arrived in BC are of women-led households with children, as well as seniors and people who are living with disabilities. 

Ultimately, Ozorovych is optimistic it will be people in the New West community who step up to help. 

“I have great hope for people, for individuals…for people who have their hearts and homes opened because they are the makers, the shakers…they can make or break the life of a Ukrainian.”

If you’d like to help, you can visit the website dedicated to the team’s response, phone the church’s team at 778-791-1199, or email [email protected].