Overview

Abstract (English)

It is well established that in the Canadian housing market, some immigrants move quickly to quality, affordable housing, while others struggle through both systematic and institutional barriers. While affordability remains the most prominent barrier to acquiring adequate housing, landing status, settlement location, and capability of attaining homeownership often mitigates immigrant experiences. For instance, refugees may be vulnerable group to poor housing, and immigrants settling in smaller, second-tier cities often improve their housing position quicker than those in less affordable housing markets such as Toronto and Vancouver. This paper utilizes Statistics Canada’s Longitudinal Survey of Immigrants to Canada (LSIC) – capturing housing experiences of immigrants from 2001 to 2005 – and investigates the factors associated with positive housing trajectories among newcomers (defined as the acquisition and movement towards suitable housing), and how this relates to personal health status. A broad geographic scale is employed in examining housing trajectories by settlement type with respect to immigrant status. Logistic models are used to explore the relationship between positive housing trajectories in primary settlement locations (Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver) relative to that observed in second and third-tier locations. How these positive housing trajectories relate to health status is additionally examined. The results of this research are framed as advancing understanding in the Canadian immigrant housing discourse through providing a longitudinal perspective on immigrant housing trajectories, and how these vary across socio-demographic and economic factors.

Abstract (French)

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