#whatishomelessness

[victimsnotvillains]

What We Know, and Where We Can Go

For the refugees that are not staying with family or ‘couch-surfing’, some of them are owning homes. In Toronto, about one-third of refugees who have been in Canada for up to five years own a home and are living in it (ONPHA, 2016). Although these individuals have been able to purchase a home, they are still living in poverty, or are the most pressed for finances (ONPHA, 2016). Whether this regards the quality or safety of their home, the amount of food they have in their fridge, or the cost of their rent, they are still experiencing poverty regardless of having a roof over their heads.

On the other end of the spectrum, there are refugees that are using emergency shelters, and are therefore extremely close to the ‘completely homeless’ end of the continuum. In 2014, over 6,000 shelter-users that were accounted for were non-citizens (Employment and Social Development Canada, 2017). Out of these 6,000 individuals, 1,095 of them were refugees. It is important to note that this information from The National Shelter Study only accounted for users of emergency shelters, there are still women’s shelters, family shelters and refugee shelters that are filled with many more than these 1,095 refugees.

Hidden homelessness amongst refugee populations continues and increases to be a significant barrier to service providers (Raicevic, 2013). Yet when refugees are granted services, either to affordable housing or to find affordable rental units, they are faces with secondary and primary barriers, such as discrimination by gender, immigrant status, or income source (Raicevic, 2013). Regardless of these discriminatory practices being illegal, they still persist.

On the other hand, the privilege of housing choice (choosing where to rent) is stripped from refugees (Raicevic, 2013). Living in areas in close proximity to social services, schools and grocery stores results in higher rent prices. But with the need and appeal being so high, people end up in cramped living spaces and unsafe housing, which is an immensely popular trend seen with refugees.

It is important to assess how and why these barriers persist for refugee populations. Maybe the issue is not that they’re lazy or freeloading off of the government, maybe the real issue lies deep within government systems, structures and policies. If seeking asylum is a human right, why does it have to cost us? If adequate housing is a right, why is it so unattainable for so many Canadians, refugees or not? The real assessment and critiquing must take place on the systems that continue to fail the populations that need their support the most.

We may not all be able to change government and social policy, but we can change our hearts and our attitudes. We have the ability to advocate for ourselves, our neighbours, our refugees, our immigrants, and other populations that deserve their rights being fulfilled.

If you are in need of help/resources, know someone who does, or want to get involved in advocating/volunteering, check out our resources page. Together, we are all victims to systematic failure. Together, we can make a difference.

- Lauren Iaccino, Ryerson University

[victimsnotvillains]

The Price of Living

We already know that refugees are struggling to keep up with monthly costs of renting or payments for mortgages – as many Canadians are, refugees or not. However, it is also crucial to understand the state and operation of the housing market in order to understand how refugees gage and experience the market for themselves. The cities of Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver are famous for being metropolitan centres, accessible to services, and having high immigrant populations. However, these cities also have high homeless populations, which is mainly due to high housing costs and a lack of social, affordable and government housing units.

In 2003, skyrocketing housing and rental prices resulted from a boom in the economy. In turn, a plethora of Canadians began struggling to pay their rent and stay sheltered. In combat of high housing prices, there was a high demand for RGI housing – rent geared-to-income – and still is today. Yet, at the same time as the increase in housing prices, there was a significant reduction in the government’s budget for housing, specifically in Ontario.

The Ontario Non-Profit Housing Association (2016) reported that 171,360 households in Ontario alone are on a wait list for housing help and relief. While the initial waiting lists have been for RGI housing, there has been a more recent demand for simply affordable rental housing units (ONPHA, 2016). However, the issues lie in low production levels, and sometimes a lack of production, of affordable rental housing units. This factor along with population growth and low vacancy rates fuel the increasingly long wait times for these units (ONPHA, 2016).

Wait times for applicants are increasing as fewer units become available each year. The ONPHA (2016) reported that an individual applying for housing in the year 2015 will wait a much longer period of time to receive housing than an individual who received housing in the year 2015 would have waited. As of 2016, the average wait time for RGI housing is 5.2 years, while in the areas of Ontario with very high demand, such as Toronto, waits can be as high as 14 years (ONPHA, 2016).

Out of all groups of Canadians, refugees experience the most struggles with the housing market (Hiebert, 2017). They are usually lacking in the country’s official language(s), have no knowledge of where or how to buy a home, and have no money to do so. In other words, they are likely to be experiencing poverty and homelessness upon their arrival.

Upon recapitulating the information discussed thus far, it is important to note that financial demands, housing prices, and a lack of affordable housing are not the sole contributors to the homelessness of refugees. We must consider the mental, emotional and physical tolls that refugees endure during the first few years upon arrival. The macro level barriers that refugees face are a large part of the homelessness epidemic, but there are many micro level factors that shape and contribute to the experience of homelessness for refugees.

- Lauren Iaccino, Ryerson University 

[victimsnotvillains]

What is ‘homelessness’? The Canadian Observatory on Homelessness (2012) defines homeless as “the situation of an individual, family or community without stable, safe, permanent, appropriate housing, or the immediate prospect, means and ability of acquiring it” (p. 1). Photo credited to Infomobile, Greece.