Two years ago, in the middle of a harsh Toronto winter, Regent Park TV first sat down with Samuel Kisitu — also known as Freeman — to hear his story as a refugee navigating housing insecurity and the challenges of starting over in a new city.

Fred Alvarado — Local Journalism Initiative

This month marks five years since Samuel arrived from Uganda in September 2019, fleeing political persecution under President Museveni’s 40-year dictatorship. In exile, he named himself “Freeman” and put on the red beret of the People Power Movement, inspired by Bobi Wine’s call for democratic change. He is now a proud member of the Migrant Workers Alliance for Change and the National Unity Platform – People Power Movement, Canada Chapter.

His journey in Toronto has carried him from nights at Dominion Church’s temporary shelter to reuniting with his family and welcoming a new child. Before finally securing affordable housing in December 2023, he was among more than 15,000 people experiencing homelessness in the city. Along the way, he became a contributing voice in Toronto’s Downtown East, helping organize during last year’s refugee housing emergency, when African-led groups and churches stepped in to shelter asylum seekers as the city’s system buckled under pressure.

Samuel’s connection to Regent Park has grown through volunteering with the Regent Park Neighbourhood Association and collaborating with Regent Park Focus Media Arts Centre — spaces that gave him a platform to speak, document, and remind the city that refugees are not invisible.

His reflections come as Toronto faces a projected $107 million shortfall in refugee and asylum-seeker housing supports for 2025. In response, Samuel appeals to the federal government not to scale back its commitment at a moment of deepening crisis.