In Focus Lecture: Finding Home – Transformative Places Where Refugee Claimants Flourish

Written by Rawan Moon (VAST)

Obtaining decent and affordable housing in a safe and welcoming neighborhood is an anchor point for a new start in Canada. The challenges faced by asylum seekers in finding affordable, appropriate and sustainable housing is consistently raised as one of the primary issues affecting a positive start in Canada.

Refugee claimants face many obstacles in regard to acquiring housing from the moment of their arrival on Canadian land. Prior to arriving, their experiences of having lived through forced migration, and the resulting trauma they may have experienced or witnessed during their lifetime contribute to a host of issues, from mental health to extreme economic insecurity. As a result, asylum seekers (or refugee claimants as they are called in Canada) suffer social inequality in Canada.  

Further disadvantages appear after their arrival and initial integration, such as feelings of isolation, due to their separation from old social networks, as well as stress caused by having to adapt quickly to completely new surroundings and a different society. In many cases, lack of language skills can be a major stressor in all facets of life in the host country, causing further social inequality.    Some of these vulnerabilities become heightened and compounded while searching for housing by factors such as lack of knowledge of the housing and rental market, the realization of their economic disadvantages, lack of language skills, as well as racism and discrimination by landlords and real estate agents, which tends to affect visible minorities more than white Canadians and white immigrants. 

Asylum-seekers, are particularly vulnerable to a range of human rights violations, including violations of the right to adequate housing. They are also vulnerable to discrimination, racism and xenophobia, which can further interfere with their ability to secure sustainable and adequate living conditions.  Unfortunately, there are reports of racism and discrimination by some landlords, who are unwilling to rent their properties to refugees. There are also reports of an increase in number of landlords trying to evict tenants; where the reasons are not always legitimate and/or proper notice is not always given. More and more claimants are needing to go to court to resolve tenancy disputes.  Also, because of their legal status and exceptionally low incomes to rent adequate accommodation, many are forced to live in overcrowded and insecure conditions. Refugee claimants will also often end up living in precarious and unsafe conditions in cities and urban areas.

Despite all these challenges, asylum seekers who make it to Canada are incredibly strong and grateful for the opportunity to be in a new country. Asylum seekers have the same basic desires as everyone: to have their children succeed in school and to be able to put a roof over their heads. After everything they had already been through, they do the best they can to keep their families afloat in this new place.