Canada is officially rolling out the welcome mat for refugees from the Ukraine and Afghanistan. How do they fare when they get here? Quite well, thanks to local community groups that help with all aspects of getting settled.
Researchers Emily Macrae and Elizabeth Doggett report that finding housing is becoming a stressful challenge. There are long waiting lists for social housing. In the private market, landlords require tenants to provide credit checks. Newcomers, understandably, don’t have them. Sometimes, private landlords are persuaded by accounts of narrow escapes and harrowing journeys, but there’s no guarantee. Telling that story can come at a cost, triggering traumatic memories.
Macrae and Doggett argue that it is time for governments to step in and support community leadership. Specifically, they call on the federal government to fund more housing for newcomers. You can read more in Policy Options: Governments Must Match Civil Society Efforts To Welcome Refugees
Community agencies that provide settlement services are also taking action. The Hamilton Immigration Partnership Council (HIPC) is building a case for housing that would assist newcomers. To support HIPC’s case, a team of student researchers from McMaster University has built an inventory of the settlement services that are offered across the country.
The inventory will be of interest in communities that are working to support newcomers. It also illustrates how local academic institutions and community agencies can collaborate on a pressing community issue. Read more at the Hamilton Immigration Partnership Council: Finding a Place to Call Home: An Environmental Scan of Newcomer Affordable Housing Across Canada
