Understanding housing needs of newcomers and government assisted refugees

In 2019, we commissioned research examining the diverse needs of the newcomers and the government assisted refugees in order to inform NHS programs. The review focused on Canada, but researchers extended the search to international sources where relevant.

This review covers the following key elements:

• identified housing needs and the extent to which these needs are met/unmet
  • housing features
  • home supports
  • locational features
  • other needs specific to each group
• challenges and barriers in accessing suitable housing
• Intersectionality with other identities (e.g., race, gender, age, family status, indigeneity, health, location
• the potential and proven solutions for meeting housing needs

Key findings:

• Newcomers face overcrowding and the double burden of low and precarious incomes and high shelter costs, in larger cities.
• Private landlords discriminate more often than real-estate agents, using illegal and discriminatory barriers:
  • outright denial based on a person’s race, ethnicity, place of origin, and income source or level
  • additional application requirements such as co-signors/guarantors and illegal rent deposits
• Refugee claimants report needing up to seven months to find housing, compared to one month by privately sponsored refugees.
• Disjointed services aimed to assist in resettlement make the challenges to affordability, discrimination, and overcrowding much worse.
• Newcomer women, when compared to newcomer men or Canadian-born women, experience unique barriers to finding adequate housing:
  • higher poverty rates
  • more interpersonal dependency
  • greater responsibilities linked to childcare

Author:

CMHC

Document Type:

PDF

Date Published:

May 13, 2021