A reception centre would be the first stop for a refugee claimant, a stop where they would be oriented to what services are available and where the vacancies are for housing, for example. Some refugee claimants already have an identified home. Some don't. A reception centre could provide immediate, very short-term shelter, if needed, for a short period of time, but usually claimants then need to move to interim housing before they find long-term housing.
A reception centre has a triage function. It could identify where there's capacity and connect refugee claimants with service providers, whereas interim housing usually means homes with wraparound services where refugee claimants may stay three months. You heard someone from Matthew House testify earlier that claimants are often there for about three months. In B.C., it could be longer, up to six months.
They are housed in community and receive support on how to connect with a refugee aid lawyer, what their employment opportunities are and how they get a work permit. It's more of an interim stage.