Canada made a big deal of welcoming refugees from Syria in 2015. Settlement services and communities geared up as the country prepared for a host of new children in schools and adults ready to work. Hotels provided immediate short term accommodation.
A group of researchers has been tracking what happened since that initial flurry of attention and support in Ontario. Finding and moving into appropriate housing has been a challenge. Many households are still living in cramped arrangements. The researchers attribute crowding partly to a mismatch between the size of available homes and the newcomer households seeking housing. High housing costs are also a factor. This is the case even though people are employed and often at more than one job.
Although this story is from Ontario, the lack of suitably sized and priced units may be familiar themes confronting newcomers in other jurisdictions. Government plans need to extend beyond the moment of arrival. You can read more in The Conversation: Canada needs to build more affordable housing for newcomers
