The Victims ... Not the Villains

As the discourses of orientalism, xenophobia and islamophobia are continuously perpetuated in media and everyday politics, refugees from non-western countries are at high risk for being denied refuge or simply finding a country willing to accept them. "You people" are not welcome here. So where do ‘these people’ turn? Yet when refugees are granted refuge, they face incredible difficulty while attempting to navigate social supports and services in their country of resettlement. Between language barriers, a lack of knowledge, and consistent miscommunication with government systems, this blog works to deeply uncover individualist and systematic issues that contribute to the homelessness of refugees. We operate for the sole purpose of exploration, education and advocacy of refugee issues and homelessness in North America. * Select the MENU icon in the top left corner for access resources and supportive charities *

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Every day should commence with a welcoming ceremony. Photo credited to Mark Kersten.

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We should be proud to accept refugees, because seeking asylum is a basic human right! Photo credited to Azeezah Kanji of The Toronto Star.

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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

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80% of homeless population live hidden. Between couch-surfing, staying with relatives, and sleeping in abandoned buildings, refugees are the most vulnerable to hidden homelessness (D'Addario, Hiebert, and Sherrell, 2007). Photo credited to Matt Stabile.

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The “Who, What, Where” of Refugee Homelessness

All these topics discussed have one significant characteristic in common – they all are a cause and factor of homeless. Poverty and hardship affect food supply, in turn affecting physical health and mental health. There are many other specific factors that contribute to the homelessness of refugees, but these pressing issues, and the specifics tied into them, are the leading causes. The structural barriers are generally the first issue that refugees are faced with on their journey with experiencing homelessness.

As previously mentioned, refugees face the most challenges in the housing market compared to any other group of individuals in Canada (Hiebert, 2017). Refugees gage the housing market and social services through their social or familial networks that are already living in the country of resettlement. They actually rely on them very intensely for resources and information about housing (D'Addario, Hiebert, and Sherrell, 2007). The conversation that usually follows is that of explaining the struggle with money, not being able to afford housing, and asking for a place to stay while things fall together. This is when refugees fall into homelessness – more specifically, this is when they fall into hidden homeless.

People experiencing hidden homelessness are often called the “out of sight, out of mind” population (Ali, 2018). These individuals are usually staying with relatives ‘temporarily’, are couch-surfing, or even living in abandoned buildings. These individuals fall homeless for many of the same reasons; structural and system failures, and of course their own personal experiences (Ali, 2018). 80% of the homeless population are hiddenly-homeless, and since refugees are at high risk of hidden homelessness, we can infer that many of those individuals account for refugees or refuge claimants.

- Lauren Iaccino, Ryerson University

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Chronic pain, illnesses, and conditions from malnourishment is an increasingly pressing issue amongst refugee populations. Photo credited to Caritas.org.

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The emotional tolls pre and post-migration can create intense feelings of stress and depression in youth and child refugees (Kirmayer et al., 2011). Photo credited to Danyel Harrigan from The Borgen Project.

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The Tolls of “Freedom”

From leaving a home country, entering a foreign country, experiencing poverty, decreasing physical health, and many other structural barriers, refugees are incredibly vulnerable to mental health issues and extreme stress from the conditions they endure. The first barrier in diagnosing and getting treatment for these individuals is the difference in language and culture (Kirmayer, Narasiah, Lavanya, Munoz, Rashid, Ryder, Guzder, 2011). There are additional issues such as uncovering the specific stressors and triggers that exist from and are associated with their migration and settlement in a new country (Kirmayer et al, 2011).

Kirmayer et al, (2011) reported that refugees are a population at high risk for a variety of psychiatric disorders. These disorders are most commonly associated with endurances of war, violence, torture, and other reasons for their migration. In specific, refugees are ten times more likely to experience post-traumatic stress disorder than non-refugee individuals. They also have increased chances or depression and chronic pain.

Just as with physical pain, refugees are much less likely than Canadian-born citizens to seek help for their mental health concerns (Kirmayer et al., 2011). They also often fail to recognize their mental health issues due to cultural stigma, or simply dismiss them as to not be potentially shamed or embarrassed by their families or communities. On top of these issues, the ever so pervasive language barrier persists, making mental health services much less accessible for refugees.

In their study, McKeary and Newbold (2010) propose the need for interpretation services being a critical addition to health care services, especially for refugees and immigrants. However, there is still a large gap missing from the cultural aspect of healthcare. The western health institution views bodies as ‘universal patients’ and there is little space for individual and social identity to shine through (McKeary and Newbold, 2010). This prevents patients from accessing care that will appropriately assess their needs, especially coming from a different country, eating different foods, having different sleep patterns – it is not always black and white.

- Lauren Iaccino, Ryerson University

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“Poverty is Making us Sick”

Many refugees who arrive in foreign countries do not have a good grasp of the country’s official language. This is not just an issue for getting through every day conversion, but applies and carries through with all aspects that factor in to the health and well-being of refugees. Refugees are generally less likely than immigrants and Canadian-born citizens to seek out health services (Kirmayer, Narasiah, Lavanya, Munoz, Rashid, Ryder, Guzder, 2011). Whether it be health issues due to lack of nutrition, pre-existing health conditions or chronic conditions, refugees are highly unlikely to seek medical care.

There are times when refugees do seek help and assistance with health concerns. In one, an individual accesses services with a dietary health professional after experiencing issues with a canned food item. Regardless of the health implications that come with using canned and processed food items, the dietician is aware that refugees are living on and relying on these foods, often from food banks. The only solutions are to either treat the illness or assist them in ‘healthifying’ the foods from the food bank (Moffat et al., 2017).

The third alternative would be to provide refugees with adequate food supply, medical and social services as to assist them in their journey to a new life, but this goal seems too unrealistic to the Canadian government (as we have already explored).

The poverty that comes with entering a new country as a refugee also creates many health issues for individuals. The Wellesley Institute (2008) has reported a consistent relationship with low income levels and increased health issues. Between increased mental, behavioural and mood disorders, an average of 126 people per 1000 are diagnosed with these health issues (The Wellesley Institute, 2008). All of these individuals exist in the bottom income quintile.

There is also the high rate of respiratory, musculoskeletal, heart, and circulatory diseases associated with the lowest income quintiles. These numbers basically tell us that poverty is contributing to the illness of people like refugees, new migrants, and low-income Canadians.

- Lauren Iaccino, Ryerson University

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The Newcomer Kitchen; a food service in Toronto created for refugees, by refugees. Check it out in the resources section! Photo credited to Len Senater.

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Missing Home and Missing Nutrients

Food insecurity is a topic that is often overlooked when discussing the issue of homelessness. Whether food insecurity is a cause or a result of homelessness, it is a pervasive element in the lives of new refugees. Among refugees, the concept of “cultural food insecurity” tends to be the most common. This topic is crucial to note as refugees have culturally specific food habits and types that are essential to their health and well-being (Moffat, Mohammed and Newbold, 2017).  

Food insecurity is based of the levels of food access, availability, and use (Moffat et al., 2017). Food access encompasses the resources and means to food, while food availability accounts for having enough food or an adequate amount to meet nutritious needs. The use of food refers to an individual’s knowledge or ability to cook or ‘use’ the food they have.

In many cases, attaining culturally specific foods is not an issue in larger or urban areas (Moffat et al., 2017). Yet, there are accessibility barriers such as transportation, cost or time which may restrict refugees from having access to their preferred food. On top of those factors, there is also the issue of nutrition. Having access to food and satisfying hunger does not equate with nutritious needs being met. A lot of times, refugees settle for fast foods, canned foods, and processed foods in general (Moffat et al., 2017). Not only can processed foods be culturally inappropriate for these individuals, they also may not have knowledge on how to prepare or cook them (Moffat et al., 2017).

Regardless of income, many refugees are often concerned with the freshness and cleanliness of their food (Moffat et al., 2017). Pesticides, GMOs and other artificial chemicals used on foods allow for cheaper prices, but can come with worrying health side effects, especially for individuals without immunity to these chemicals. In addition to this concern, many refugees have issues understanding food labels, how to use canned and boxed food items, as well as kitchen appliances such as microwaves. This can be especially concerning for individuals with health issues such as diabetes or high blood pressure.

Between feelings of food-from-back-home nostalgia, health concerns, and a lack of means to appropriate food, refugees can begin facing many physical health issues that never existed prior to their arrival in the new country. Now, refugees are faced with housing issues, low income issues, and not having appropriate food. One can only imagine the implications and results that occur from experiencing food insecurity in a foreign country, with little social support or even a lack thereof.

- Lauren Iaccino, Ryerson University

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Between finding housing, providing for a family, and finding employment, the refugee life can be a lot to endure. Photo credited to Nadine Yousif.

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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 

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The income struggle is no stranger to plenty of Canadians... refugees are even more familiar with it. Photo credited to Giulio d’Adamo. 

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The Levels of Hardship

New-comers, immigrants and refugees often leave their countries in search of a better life, more job opportunities, and better education for themselves or their children. However, this coercive narrative of the “American Dream” does not always come as advertised. Dr. David Hulchanski (1997) outlines 3 types of barriers refugees experience that challenge their access to housing and have the potential to lead to their homelessness. 

The primary barriers encompass person characteristics, such as race, gender, religion, or culture (Hulchanski, 1997). Secondary barriers include a lack of opportunities due to a language barrier, credentials not being recognized for work, or even simple culture shock (Hulchanski, 1997). In basic terms, they lack knowledge about the culture and country they will be living in.The third level of barriers are structural and systematic; housing prices, policies in place by different levels of government, etc. (Hulchanski, 1997). Essentially, they are factors that refugees do not have power to change or take into their own hands.

David St. Arnault and Noorfarah Merali (2018) outline two aspects in Canada’s refugee policy that may have a high likelihood of contributing to the homelessness of refugees and the precarious housing issues. The first issue is that refugees are only supported by the government or potential sponsors during the first few years of their new move. Once these financial supports are revoked, individuals notice a dramatic decrease in their income (St. Arnault and Merali, 2018). The following step is of course to find employment, yet this is where secondary and primary barriers come in to play. Individuals may not have a good grasp of the official language(s), their credentials are not recognized, or they are blatantly discriminated against.

The second issue is the miscommunication between the Canadian government and individuals seeking refuge. Canada’s refugee policy requires refugees to pay back the costs of their transportation to Canada, yet refugees are not given this information until a year since arrival passes, and the loan repayment process begins without much notice or information. This in fact is not simply miscommunication, but a withholding of information by Canadian government which results in numerous financial concerns for refugees. From repaying loans, renting, food and transportation costs, refugees are at a high risk of losing their housing. 

The message here is clear; yes, you have the right to seek asylum, but in this neoliberal capitalist economy, your human rights are going to cost you. 

- Lauren Iaccino, Ryerson University

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The streets of Toronto. Where victims to the systems that failed them lie. Photo credited to Lauren Iaccino.

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Unpacking = Understanding

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). Although anyone can be affected by or experience homelessness, there is a strong statistical emphasis and focus on vulnerable and minority groups, as these individuals are generally more susceptible to homelessness than non-minority or wealthy groups. The city of Toronto (1998) receives roughly 5,000 refugee claimants per year, and these individuals are a group specifically vulnerable to homelessness (City of Toronto, 1998 in Kissoon, 2010). In more recent years, the surges in war, crime and terrorism sparked a massive increase in this number. Since 2015, Canada has accepted between 20,000 and 45,000 refugees annually, from the Middle East, Africa and Asia (Government of Canada, 2016). In 2018, 40% of individuals in emergency shelters in Toronto alone were refugee claimants (Gray, 2018).

The idea of homelessness and hunger as epidemics only existing in “Third World” regions are commonly assumed, yet asylum seekers in the West, even in “multicultural and equality-based Canada”, are increasingly faced with these and other challenges (Kissoon, 2010). It is important to understand the statistics that exist, but to truly understand them, we must unpack the systems and supports that manage asylum seekers and sometimes perpetuate their homelessness. 

Many social workers and advocates argue that asylum seekers do not receive enough support in Canada. They are often left to advocate for themselves, find their own resources and supports, and end up in competition with other immigrants and classes of Canadians for welfare services (Kissoon, 2010). It seems as though Canada recognizes the situation of refugees as unfortunate and so they grant individuals their right to seek asylum. On the other hand, the lack of national asylum programs in Canada sends the message that the situation of refugees is unfortunate, yet not unfortunate enough to actually provide them with adequate support that is tailored to their specific needs and concerns. In basic terms, equality does not equate to equity.

- Lauren Iaccino, Ryerson University