Category: Blog: Housing

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This blog takes a critical look at how colonization continues to impact housing access for Indigenous Peoples and how Indigenous-led housing initiatives are one way to contribute to de-colonization and reconciliation.

By Jordan Clark Marcichiw (Mar-see-shoe), ESPC Volunteer

Housing remains a significant issue for First Nation, Metis, and Inuit Peoples (hereafter referred to as Indigenous Peoples) in Canada.  Studies report Indigenous Peoples are eight times more likely to experience homelessness than non-Indigenous Peoples, regardless of whether they reside in urban or rural settings. (1)  Mainstream definitions of homelessness include any individual or group’s situation where they are without “stable, safe, permanent, appropriate housing, or the immediate prospect, means and ability of acquiring it” (2) and is caused by several structural and systemic factors, such as poverty, racism, and housing shortages, as well as personal circumstances. (3)  This definition largely reflects a Western, settler perspective.  In the context of discussing Indigenous homelessness, it is important to consider the definition of homelessness from an Indigenous worldview:  

“Unlike the common colonialist definition of homelessness, Indigenous homelessness is not defined as lacking a structure of habitation; rather, it is more fully described and understood through a composite lens of Indigenous worldviews. These include: individuals, families and communities isolated from their relationships to land, water, place, family, kin, each other, animals, cultures, languages and identities. Importantly, Indigenous people experiencing these kinds of homelessness cannot culturally, spiritually, emotionally or physically reconnect with their Indigeneity or lost relationships” (4). 

Why do we need Indigenous-led Housing Initiatives? 

Despite the immense impact this issue has on Indigenous Peoples in Canada, there remains a lack of resources and strategies informed and led by Indigenous Peoples and Indigenous ways of knowing. (1)  Policies informed by colonization remain prevalent today, thus worsening the experiences of the housing crisis for Indigenous Peoples.  For example, policies that deem traditional family housing as being inadequate and “overcrowded” lead to the apprehension of children by child welfare agencies (5), which may increase a child’s likelihood of later experiencing homelessness. (6) In order to respectfully and appropriately respond to housing challenges in Indigenous populations, the overall strategy needs to be reflective of Indigenous priorities and ways of knowing.  Pairing culturally appropriate supports with housing allows for wrap-around services that address key needs identified by Indigenous Peoples (for example, intergenerational trauma), and is a key step towards decolonization. (7)   

“Decolonization is about ‘cultural, psychological, and economic freedom’ for Indigenous Peoples with the goal of achieving Indigenous sovereignty — the right and ability of Indigenous Peoples to practice self-determination over their land, cultures, and political and economic systems. Colonialism is a historical and ongoing global project where settlers continue to occupy land, dictate social, political, and economic systems, and exploit Indigenous Peoples and their resources” (8). 

Indigenous-led Housing Initiatives in Edmonton 

There are a variety of Indigenous-led initiatives in Edmonton, including: Native Counselling Services of Alberta, NiGiNan Housing Ventures, Metis Capital Housing, Ben Calf Robe Society, and Bent Arrow.  Despite this, more work needs to be done to better respond to the needs of Indigenous Peoples in our City.  In early 2021, the City of Edmonton Council called for a research project to inform an Indigenous Affordable Housing Strategy in Edmonton.  (9) Throughout the project, recommendations offered by Indigenous stakeholders in Edmonton include increasing sustainable funding, ensuring Indigenous-specific housing data is available to program developers, and creating an Indigenous community-based organization focused on housing.  Additionally, stakeholders asked for more collaboration and improved partnerships with the government, industry, and other housing developers.  Importantly, a key piece of collaboration was identified to include the diversity of Indigenous Peoples (including those represented by existing Indigenous bodies, as well as those not already represented). This diversity is an essential component in highlighting the ways Indigenous Peoples understand housing, as well as understanding their unique needs such as addressing racism in the housing market.  More highlights and recommendations identified in the project can be found here.   

What can I do? 

• Listen and Learn – Seek the stories and lived experiences of the Indigenous population.  Familiarize yourself with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s calls for action. (10)    
• Support – Become aware of existing Indigenous-led housing initiatives. Familiarize yourself with proposed Urban, Rural and Northern Indigenous Housing strategies (11) and the recommendations they offer. (7, 9)    
• Advocate – Query existing housing initiatives on how they can further decenter colonial policies, attitudes, and perspectives.  Hold them accountable to decolonize the housing landscape and encourage funders to support Indigenous-led initiatives.  

Did You Enjoy this Blog? Please provide us feedback here

Jordan Clark Marcichiw (she/her) is a volunteer with Edmonton Social Planning Council  is a social worker who is passionate about spreading knowledge and advocating for systems change for the betterment of all individuals. Her personal interests include hiking, kayaking, skiing, playing slopitch, reading, and adventuring with her pup. 

To enjoy more of our blog posts or to learn more about Edmonton Social Planning Council please follow us on social media @edmontonspc  

References 

(1) Thistle, J. & Smylie, J.  (2020, March 9).  Pekiwewin (coming home): advancing good relations with Indigenous people experiencing homelessness.  Canadian Medical Association Journal (192)10, E257-E259. https://www.cmaj.ca/content/cmaj/192/10/E257.full.pdf   

(2)  Gaetz, S., Barr, C., Friesen, A., Harris, B., Hill, C., Kovacs-Burns, K., Pauly, B., Pearce, B., Turner, A., & Marsolais, A. (2012).  Canadian Definition of Homelessness.  Canadian Observatory on Homelessness Press.  https://www.homelesshub.ca/sites/default/files/COHhomelessdefinition.pdf  

(3)  Homeless Hub.  (n.d.).  Causes of Homelessness.  https://www.homelesshub.ca/about-homelessness/homelessness-101/causes-homelessness 

(4) Thistle, J.  (2017).  Definition of Indigenous homelessness in Canada.  Homeless Hub.  https://www.homelesshub.ca/IndigenousHomelessness  

(5)  Lafferty, K. (2022, July 13).  The need for Indigenous-led housing.  Policy Options.  https://policyoptions.irpp.org/magazines/july-2022/indigenous-housing-need/  

(6) Serge, L., Eberle, M., Goldbeg, M., Sullivan, S., & Dudding, P.  (2002, December).  Pilot study the child welfare system and homelessness among Canadian youth.  National Homelessness Initiative.  https://www.homelesshub.ca/sites/default/files/attachments/Pilot_Study_The_Child_Welfare_System_and_Homelessness.pdf  

(7) Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.  (2022, May 10).  Urban, rural, and northern Indigenous housing.  https://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/professionals/housing-markets-data-and-research/housing-research/research-reports/housing-needs/research-insight-urban-rural-northern-indigenous-housing    

(8)  Belfi, E. & Sandiford, N. (2021). Decolonization series part 1: exploring decolonization. In S. Brandauer and E. Hartman (Eds.). Interdependence: Global Solidarity and Local Actions. The Community-based Global Learning Collaborative. http://globalsolidaritylocalaction.sites.haverford.edu/what-is-decolonization-why-is-it-important/  

(9)  Sokoluk, L. & Hannley, L.  (2022, May 18).  Prioritizing and incentivising the development of Indigenous-led affordable housing in Edmonton.  https://pub-edmonton.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=158480  

(10) Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada.  (2012).  Truth and reconciliation commission of Canada: Calls to action.  https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/british-columbians-our-governments/indigenous-people/aboriginal-peoples-documents/calls_to_action_english2.pdf  

(11)  The Canadian Housing and Renewal Association.  (2020, November).  An Urban, Rural and Northern Indigenous Housing Strategy for Canada.  https://www.ourcommons.ca/Content/Committee/432/HUMA/Brief/BR11000896/br-external/CanadianHousingAndRenewalAssociation-e.pdf  

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The blog “Barriers to shelter use”, written after some thorough research, intends to explore the barriers that the unhoused population experiences and the challenges they encounter at many levels while trying to access emergency shelter and housing services in Edmonton. 

By Ankur Subedi, ESPC Volunteer

Homeless populations are one of the most affected demographics across the province. There has been a significant increase in people experiencing homelessness. It is estimated that approximately 700 to 800 people sleep outside on any given night, and there are 2800 people in Edmonton with no permanent address (CBC, 2022). Providing them with emergency shelters is an appropriate intervention to meet their physical and psychological needs and assist them in developing the skills needed to live independently and transitioning them back into the community.  

Alberta recently announced an investment of $21.5 million for emergency and homeless shelters (CBC, 2021). While the intent of this action is humane and commendable; the shortage of emergency shelters is another reality. This shortage leads to overcrowding, which creates unhealthy, unsanitary, and even dangerous conditions in some shelters and facilitates the possible transmission of communicable diseases and pests (Rankin and Skinner, 2016). Living in such conditions can discourage members of the homeless population from seeking shelters (Rankin and Skinner). Other barriers include the rules and restrictions that shelters have in place which can make services inaccessible to those in need; and involve restrictions on people’s autonomy and independence (Rankin and Skinner, 2016). Another example of a barrier is that most shelters are restricted to either single males or single females. Families, youth, couples, and transgendered individuals, consequently, are automatically excluded from most shelters (Rankin and Skinner, 2016). Their feeling of exclusion can result in chronic and episodic homelessness throughout their lifetime, and they are likely to face more barriers and complex challenges involving physical and mental health, addictions, and violence that further result in long-term and ongoing homelessness (City of Edmonton, n.d.). 

Although identified as an area of need for homeless populations, it is not always easy to access these emergency shelters. Mack and Wismark (2021) highlight an important fact about the homeless population and their inability to access emergency shelters and social services because most of the population trying to access the services do not have permanent addresses. Their barriers to being housed only increase, leaving them with fewer options, limited choices, and substantial obstacles to overcome. The homeless community is treated discriminatorily as criminalized intruders, so it has only increased their barriers to housing and shelter use, which makes them more vulnerable to abuse and harm (Mack and Wismark, 2021). Further research and findings indicate that structural barriers faced by the homeless population include inadequate homeless resources, employment challenges, discrimination by law enforcement, hot climate, lack of transportation, and legal concerns (Ferguson and Sample, 2019). Situational barriers include interpersonal relationships, the street environment, and lack of personal resources whereas intrapersonal barriers include behavioral, mental, and physical health challenges, reluctance to reach out for help, money management, and lack of desire for stable housing (Ferguson and Sample, 2019).  

It will be interesting to observe how the $21.5 million will be utilized to ease and address capacity issues at the shelters. As the province has recognized the need for financial assistance, the hope is that it will help mitigate at least some of the barriers to shelter use for the vulnerable community. 

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Ankur Subedi is a Social Work student at the University of Calgary. Having completed the Social Work Diploma from Norquest College, Ankur comes with a diverse background in community involvement, and is presently working towards her Registered Social Worker designation. Ankur recently connected with ESPC to give back to the community. 

REFERENCES 

1. CBC Radio Canada. (2022, April 23). Number of homeless people in Edmonton expected to grow, City Report says | CBC News. CBCnews. Retrieved from https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/number-of-homeless-people-in-edmonton-expected-to-grow-city-report-says-1.6428680
2. CBC Radio Canada. (2021, November 17). Alberta announces $21.5 million to help homeless, domestic violence shelters this winter | CBC News. CBCnews. Retrieved from https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/jason-kenney-homeless-domestic-violence-covid-alta-1.6252130
3. Ferguson K. M. & Sample, K. (2019). It shouldn’t be this hard: Systemic, situational, and intrapersonal barriers to exiting homelessness among homeless young adults. The Homeless Hub. Retrieved from https://www.homelesshub.ca/resource/it-shouldn%E2%80%99t-be-hard%C2%A0systemic-situational-and-intrapersonal-barriers-exiting-homelessness
4. Mack, C. & Wismark, J. (2021, November 19). Opinion: Homelessness in Alberta is a public health emergency. Edmonton Journal. Retrieved from https://edmontonjournal.com/opinion/columnists/opinion-homelessness-in-alberta-is-a-public-health-emergency
5. Rankin, K.S. & Skinner, S. (2016). SHUT OUT: How Barriers Often Prevent Meaningful Access to Emergency Shelter. Seattle U School of Law. Retrieved from https://digitalcommons.law.seattleu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1004&context=hrap.
6. The City of Edmonton. (n.d.). Current State of Homeless in Edmonton. Retrieved from http://endhomelessnessyeg.ca/current-state-homelessness-edmonton/ 

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By Carrie Cyre 

In June 2022, Post Media reported on a private Facebook group with more than 2000 members called “Landlords Beware! Bad Tenants — Edmonton and area” (Boothby, 2022a). A group of local landlords and property managers created this private Facebook group to share information about problematic tenants. The posts on this site list “problem” tenants accused of damaging housing or property, leaving items behind when moving out, and unpaid rent (Boothby, 2022a; Connolly & McCarthy, 2022). This group’s reported purpose is to warn other landlords about these tenants and blocklist their ability to rent in the future.  

The Do Not Rent list can have far-reaching implications: 

1. Unofficial and unregulated lists like this can cause worsened low-vacancy, high-rent housing situations, and housing discrimination (Boothby, 2022c). 
2. These lists may violate individuals’ human rights to housing (Boothby, 2022c). 
3. Misusing and sharing private tenant information is against Alberta privacy laws (Connolly & McCarthy, 2022; Boothby2022b). 
4. Raising grievances on Facebook or any private social media space does not provide any mechanism for tenants to dispute claims (Connolly & McCarthy, 2022). 

The Cost of Housing 

Amid a nationwide housing crisis, many Canadians have difficulty finding affordable and safe housing. Commonly, individuals experience barriers like low vacancy rates, high prices, and discrimination (Auspurg et al., 2019; Ages et al., 2021). 

Buying a house 

Canada has continually been among the most expensive nations regarding housing (Du et al., 2022). Even Edmonton, one of the more affordable cities in the country, has average single-family homes costing upwards of over $400,000 (Du et al., 2022). The high housing prices in Canada have led to lower ownership rates amongst Indigenous Canadians, Black Canadians, West-Asian Canadians, and many other racialized groups (Ages et al., 2021). 

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Renting 

Canada’s rental increases over the past several years have significantly outpaced increases in the minimum wage (Springer, 2022). As a result, rent increases have disproportionately affected people living on fixed incomes, such as minimum wage workers, seniors living on a government pension, and those reliant on social services (Government of Canada, 2021).  

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The Do Not Rent list also violates the individuals’ human rights to a place to live by creating an unexpected barrier to securing safe and affordable housing (Boothby, 2022b). Many individuals have experienced discrimination when renting, including those who identify as Black, Indigenous, persons from the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, low-income individuals, single-parent households, immigrants and refugees, and persons living with a disability (Springer, 2022). In addition, the private rental market can discriminate against individuals by asking them to pay relatively higher prices to get the same housing quality as others or may provide substandard housing (Pager & Shepherd, 2008). Studies have shown that individuals from marginalized backgrounds can be especially vulnerable to housing insecurity and housing discrimination (Ages et al., 2021; Auspurg et al., 2019).  

Government intervention is often suggested as a solution to housing insecurity, high rent, and low vacancy (Pasalis, 2022). Unfortunately, the Federal government discontinued funding for subsidized housing in 1993, and responsibility was transferred to the provinces (Perrault, 2022). Additionally, Canada has failed to allow enough changes to land zoning to allow more dense housing to be built (Pasalis, 2022). In Alberta, while subsidized housing is available, it does not meet the demand, and in 2021, there were over 25 000 Albertans on the waitlist (Government of Alberta, 2021). 

There is also a lack of housing in general across Canada. To compare Canada to other G7 nations, the average number of housing units is 471 homes per 1,000 residents across the G7 (Perrault, 2022). However, Canada has only 424 homes per 1000 Canadians, 10% lower than the G7 average (Pasalis, 2022). Further, Alberta has recorded the lowest number of private dwellings per capita relative to other provinces (Perrault, 2022). 

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The sharing of tenant information is against Alberta privacy laws.  

A legal criticism of this Facebook group’s list is that these landlords misappropriate private data and share it without tenant knowledge or consent. This practice is illegal as it breaks Alberta’s Personal Information Protection Act (Boothby 2022b). Public Interest Alberta and the Alberta Privacy Commissioner’s Office are aware of this sharing of tenant information and are investigating.  

Landlords already have the legal right to run credit checks and reference checks on potential tenants. (Government of Alberta, 2022) 

Personal Information Protection Act, SA 2003 c P-6.5 also called PIPA. PIPA is the act that protects personal data in the private sector in Alberta. PIPA gives consumers the right to access their personal data held by an organization such as a landlord. PIPA also imposes certain requirements on how companies or organizations may use, store and share that personal information (OICP, 2022).  

One final problem with the list is that there is no way for a tenant to be notified if they are on the list (Connolly & McCarthy, 2022). As a result, a tenant cannot share their side of the story or remove their information. Once someone realizes they are on the list, there is no process to have their information removed (Connolly & McCarthy, 2022). As outlined in the Alberta Tenancy Act, tenants and landlords have legal means to use when in conflict. However, Alberta housing advocates feel that legislators need to update the act to balance the power and responsibilities of landlords and tenants (Boothby, 2022b). 

The Do Not Rent List controversy renews the call for action on the housing crisis. Advocates, academics, and government officials have suggested many solutions to address the housing affordability crisis (Canada Housing Crisis, 2021; Erl, 2022). However, as a lack of housing and high housing prices are complex problems, they require a great deal of public support, public funds, and coordination with many different levels of government. 

While the Do Not Rent group page is shut down, at least for now, similar pages could resurface in other formats and locations. This current chapter in the ongoing Canadian housing crisis asks us to consider if it is fair to allow past rental problems, whether accurate, exaggerated, or fabricated, to prevent someone from accessing rental housing. If housing is a human right, whose responsibility is it to provide housing?  

References 

1. Ages, A., Aramburu, R., Charles, R., Chejfecc, C., & Buhubesh, R. (2021). Housing Discrimination in Canada: Urban Centres, Rental Markets, and Black Communities.  McGill School of Public Policy. https://www.mcgill.ca/maxbellschool/article/articles-policy-lab-2021/housing-discrimination-canada-urban-centres-rental-markets-and-black-communities
2. Auspurg, K., Schneck, A., & Hinz. (2019).Closed doors everywhere? A meta-analysis of field experiments on ethnic discrimination in rental housing markets. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 45(1), 95-114. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369183X.2018.1489223
3. Boothby, L. (2022a). Edmonton landlords run ‘do not rent’ list with hundreds of tenants in private Facebook group. The Edmonton Journal. https://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/edmonton-landlords-run-do-not-rent-list-with-hundreds-of-tenants-in-Private-facebook-group
4. Boothby, L. (2022b). Alberta privacy commissioner investigates complaint related to Edmonton ‘do not rent’ list. The Edmonton Journal. https://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/alberta-privacy-commissioner-investigates-complaint-related-to-edmonton-do-not-rent-list
5. Boothby, L (2022c). Revamping Alberta renters’ rights and investigating Edmonton landlord group needed: advocate. Edmonton Journal. https://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/revamping-alberta-renters-rights-and-investigating-edmonton-landlord-group-needed-advocate
6. Connolly, M., & McCarthy, T., (2022). Another do not rent list was made public in Edmonton. Radio broadcast: CBC Radio, Radio Active. https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-52-radio-active/clip/15923225-another-rent-list-made-public-edmonton.
7. Du, Z., Hua, Y. & Zhang, L. (2022). Foreign buyer taxes and house prices in Canada: A tale of two cities. Journal of Housing Economics, 55. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhe.2021.101807
8. Erl, C.(2022). The Homefront Strategy: Democratizing Housing in Canada. McGill Publications. https://www.mcgill.ca/maxbellschool/article/articles-max-policy/homefront-strategy-democratizing-housing-canada
9. Government of Alberta. (2015). Personal Information Protection Act – Overview. https://www.alberta.ca/personal-information-protection-act-overview.aspx
10. Government of Alberta. (2021). A New Approach to Housing. Housing and Community. https://www.alberta.ca/article-a-new-approach-to-housing.aspx
11. Government of Alberta. (2022). Landlords and tenants. Housing and Community. https://www.alberta.ca/landlords-tenants.aspx
12. Government of Canada. (2019). National Housing Strategy Act. Justice Laws Website.https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/n-11.2/FullText.html
13. Government of Canada. (2021). Research Insight: Homeownership Rate Varies Significantly by Race. Housing Insight. https://assets.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/sites/cmhc/professional/housing-markets-data-and-research/housing-research/research-reports/housing-finance/research-insights/2021/homeownership-rate-varies-significantly-race-en.pdf?rev=af9ae04d-00bd-43ce-8619-d5e5d4a37444
14. National Right to Housing Network. NRHN (2022). Right to Housing Legislation in Canada.  https://housingrights.ca/right-to-housing-legislation-in-canada/#:~:text=The%20right%20to%20housing%20was,Economic%2C%20Social%20and%20Cultural%20Rights
15. Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner OIPC (Edmonton). (2022). Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA).  https://oipc.ab.ca/legislation/pipa/
16. Pasalis, J. (2022). Canada’s G7-Leading Pop Growth and Housing Impact. Move Smartly. https://www.movesmartly.com/articles/canadas-g7-leading-pop-growth-and-housing-impact
17. Pager, D., and Shepherd, H. (2008).The Sociology of Discrimination: Racial Discrimination in Employment, Housing, Credit, and Consumer Markets. Annual Review of Sociology, 34, 181-209.
18. Perrault, J.F. (2022). Which Province Has the Largest Structural Housing Deficit? ScotiaBank Economics Publication. https://www.scotiabank.com/ca/en/about/economics/economics-publications/post.other-publications.housing.housing-note.housing-note–january-12-2022-.html
19. Springer A.(2022). Living in Colour: Racialized Housing Discrimination in Canada. Homeless Hub. https://www.homelesshub.ca/blog/living-colour-racialized-housing-Discrimination-canada 

Carrie-Anne Cyre is a public health student and currently working on her master’s degree. She has been volunteering in her community for over a decade, including the UncoverOliver Working Group. When she isn’t studying or volunteering, Carrie-Anne loves travel (pre- and hopefully post-COVID), coffee, and enjoying nature. 

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By Jayme Wong

“Ethno-racial and nativity differences in access to affordable housing in Canada” is a research paper written by Kate H. Choi from the University of Western Ontario and Sagi Ramaj from the University of Toronto. Published on June 18, 2022, the paper details the ongoing housing affordability crisis in Canada and its effect on Canadians from different ethno-racial groups. Choi and Ramaj compile housing data from the six largest ethno-racial groups in Canada, including Whites, Blacks, East Asians, South Asians, Southeast Asian, and Middle Eastern and North Africans (MENA).   

The report begins by stating that few Canadian studies have been conducted on ethno-racial differences in access to affordable housing. Though the authors do not state why this is the case, they suggest that previous studies on the intersections between housing access and ethno-racial identity have been too narrow in scope. Deriving short-term data collected from recent immigrants, thus unable to pinpoint any ongoing housing access problems that exist for immigrants who remain in Canada for more than five years. As well identifying immigrants as one group (i.e., visible minorities) and eliminating any nuances between ethno-racial groups. Choi and Ramaj make the case to step away from this “descriptive” data, stating that “[the data has not] systematically identified the structural factors contributing to ethno-racial variations in access to affordable housing” (p 8). In other words, to truly understand why barriers exist between different ethno-racial groups when trying to obtain affordable housing, better race-based, long-term data needs to be collected. 

Choi and Ramaj ultimately present four findings from their research: 

1. There are notable differences between ethno-racial groups when accessing affordable housing. In analyzing data from the 2016 census, MENA had the highest rates of unaffordable housing followed by East Asians, South Asians, Blacks and Southeast Asians; white people had the lowest rates of unaffordable housing. 
2. Community contexts may explain why certain ethno-racial groups face higher barriers to affordable housing than others. Many ethno-racial immigrant groups have settled in large metropolitan areas, such as Vancouver and Toronto, to be closer to people who share a cultural background and language, and these communities typically have higher housing costs.  
3. Unemployment and economic disparities result in difficulty accessing affordable housing. Choi and Ramaj write that “differences in unaffordable housing rates between MENA and other groups were largely attributable to the lower employment of MENA respondents… These findings […] suggest that due to structural inequalities in the labour market, MENA workers may have higher unemployment rates and more precarious work, which reduces their economic ability to actualize their housing preferences and meet their housing needs” (p 29). In other words, the under-employment of immigrants and lack of skill or credential recognition may be contributing to greater economic disadvantages for immigrants, resulting in additional barriers to affordable housing. 
4. People born in Canada have lower rates of unaffordable housing than immigrants. However, this difference only decreases slightly when comparing Canadian-born ethno-racial groups, “The unaffordable housing rates of Canadian-born Southeast Asians only decreased slightly to levels similar to those of Canadian-born Whites. The unaffordable housing rates of Blacks decreased little across immigrant generations” (p 30). This comparison suggests that racial discrimination – not simply immigrant status – may play a role in affordable housing accessibility.

Overall, Choi and Ramaj’s paper paints a compelling picture of Canada’s current housing market and presents a problem that has been boiling under the country’s surface for a long time. As rising inflation continues to affect the cost of living for all Canadians, certain groups will be affected more than others. More specifically, people identifying as MENA, East Asian, South Asian, Black, and Southeast Asian are more likely to live in unaffordable housing and have a lower quality of life as a result. It is crucial to begin collecting aggregated race-based data to understand why these differences arise and how we can find an equitable housing solution for our growing population.  

The authors suggest a few solutions including designing housing policies that address the structural barriers, such as education and employment, that affect access to affordable housing and increasing the housing supply in large urban centres where more immigrants tend to settle.  

Certainly, Choi and Ramaj are correct to point toward the overarching systemic issues that contribute to the housing problems that they have identified in their paper. Something the authors alluded to throughout the paper, in conjunction with their complaints on the lack of ethno-racial housing data, is that many studies (and policies) have previously treated immigrants as temporary. “[Focusing] on the housing experiences of immigrants during the first four years of their arrival in Canada” (p. 1) thus providing superficial solutions to deeply rooted issues. The solution, then, requires a long-term view of immigrant settlement in Canada and housing policies that address the larger, systemic issues that impact the generations of ethno-racial groups living in Canada. 

Jayme has a BA in English and Philosophy from the University of Lethbridge and an MA in English and Film Studies from the University of Alberta. She currently lives in Edmonton with her partner and their cat. 

Original Article:  

https://osf.io/preprints/socarxiv/s32x7/