Olivia Chow received some good news prior to her first face-to-face with Doug Ford since her mayoral by-election win.

Before going to Queen’s Park for their meeting, the  province announced it’s providing $42-million to affected municipalities with urgent assistance to the rapidly rising number of asylum claimants and other at-risk groups.

Toronto will receive the most; $26.4-million as it has ”experienced the greatest influx of asylum claimants of any municipality,” reads a provincial statement.

The premier says the funding will ease growing pressures on homeless shelters across Ontario.

”Unfortunately, in Toronto and across the province, too many newcomers searching for a better life are struggling, living in our shelter systems, church basements or, in some cases, out on the streets,” says Ford.

”That’s just unacceptable.”

Both Ford and Chow invite the federal government to join ”to tackle this crisis.”