Home Sweet Home? Unveiling the Housing Hurdles for London's Newcomers
A higher percentage of immigrant families in London spend more than 30% of their income on housing compared to non-immigrant families. Even though immigrant families pay a higher percentage of their income on housing, they are more likely to have unsuitable housing than non-immigrant families. The National Housing Strategy Act (2019) declared that “the right to adequate housing is a fundamental human right affirmed in international law.”
Housing is an important social determinant of health and well-being, and for newcomers, there are many barriers that affect the likelihood of finding a suitable home. Different immigrant and refugee groups are impacted by factors such as religion, ethnicity, language/accent, family size and knowledge of the housing system.
About 16% of the population in private households in London and region spend 30% or more of their income on shelter cost. The proportion is higher among immigrants (21%) than among non-immigrants (14%) and a third of the 2016 to 2021 arrivals spend 30% or more of their income on housing. Non-permanent residents, including temporary foreign workers and international students, have the highest proportion spending 30% or more of their income on shelter cost which are reflected in their housing situations.
A household is deemed to be living in unsuitable accommodation if its dwelling does not have enough bedrooms for the size and composition of the household. Although immigrants spend a higher percentage of their income for their dwelling, twice the proportion of them live in unsuitable accommodation: 15% among immigrants and 7% among non-immigrants. The proportion living in unsuitable accommodation is highest (35%) among the most recent immigrants and non-permanent residents. With the narrowing housing choices, new immigrants are not left with many options.
Anyone moving to a new country hopes for an affordable and suitable place to call home. However, not all newcomers have access to housing that meets their basic needs and it is important to understand the various challenges that they may face when trying to find a new home. Overall, this recent data shows that immigrants face many additional barriers while searching for suitable housing compared to Canada’s native born population.
Organizations with settlement services for newcomers to London:
The London Cross Cultural Learner Centre: dedicated to supporting newcomers’ immediate needs, this organization helps newcomers integrate into the community over the long-term through various programs and services, including resettlement assistance, language assessment, and orientation services. A service allowing for settlement workers in school (SWIS) is also provided.
LUSO Community Services: provides services and education programs to help immigrants and refugees integrate better into their new communities. It also offers a variety of charitable social services and support. A service allowing for settlement workers in school (SWIS) is also provided.
Northwest London Resource Centre: offers counselling and support services designed to connect immigrants with the community and help them integrate;
South London Neighbourhood Resource Centre: offers a number of community programs and events, including settlement services for those who are new to Canada. A service allowing for settlement workers in school (SWIS) is also provided.
YMCA of Southwestern Ontario: In addition to offering a wide variety of sports and athletic programs, the YMCA also supports those new to Canada with orientation services, English-language instructions, and settlement and newcomer youth programs.
Collège Boréal offers free Settlement, Information and Orientation services as well as Training programs to newcomers to Canada to improve your language skills.
Carrefour Communautaire francophone de London offers programs and services to address and meet the needs of all Francophones in the London and surrounding area. A service allowing for settlement workers in school (SWIS) is also provided.