Kelsey Bent, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Listowel Banner

STRATFORD – A housing crisis is occurring across the nation, however a recent study sheds light on the specific challenges newcomers to Canada face when seeking housing in Huron and Perth Counties. 

The recent study by the Immigration Partnership within Huron County’s Economic Development Department titled, Newcomers Experiences of Housing in Huron Perth, has revealed ten challenges immigrants face when seeking housing.

“What we found is when we went to the internet and tried to get official information from research studies or other credible sources, there was very little available about rural immigrant experiences. Sure, there was plenty available about city experiences, but not in small towns in rural Ontario,” Huron County Local Immigration Partnership Manager, Mark Nonkes said to Perth County Council on Aug. 7. 

The study, led by Dr. Rana Telfah, was supported by a combination of funding from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, Huron County and Perth County’s economic development departments, as well as the Municipality of North Perth. 

To gather information, focus groups were developed and consisted of people who had moved to Canada and had settled in Huron or Perth County after 2018, and live in a community of less than 10,000 people. Forty newcomers shared their experiences: 17 from Listowel, 10 from Goderich, eight from St. Marys, and five from Exeter. Of the 40, 62 per cent were female and 38% male. The focus group members immigrated to Canada from a variety of countries, including: Ukraine, Philippines, Mexico, Syria, India, Ghana, Guatemala, Iran, Russia and Ivory Coast. Everyone who took part in this study was renting an apartment or house, and many had children. 

Although the information in this report came from 40 individuals in Huron and Perth Counties, according to statistics Canada, 225 immigrants moved to North Perth between 2011 and 2021. According to the 2021 Census, there were 1,665 immigrants living in North Perth.

The first finding listed in the report was that housing is just one part of the settlement experience. 

Nonkes explained that solving the housing problem must consider employment and transportation, along with English language classes, education for children, access to health care and proximity to grocery stores. 

The second finding listed in the report was challenges finding affordable housing. Research found that close to half (48%) were spending more than 30% of their monthly income on rent. Nonkes told council, newcomers fleeing war, in Syria or Ukraine for example, were sometimes paying between 40%-80% of their income on housing. 

When asked about the struggles newcomers might face, Community Services Director of the Listowel Salvation Army Gwyneth Woods shared that their community services, including the food bank, “serve a diverse group of community members. Many are struggling to obtain or maintain housing. In prioritizing those costs, food costs are often the first ones cut. If you are new to the area, these struggles can be increased. While our food bank has seen an average of 133 households, or 376 individuals each month this year, our stats tell us that 51% of those households visited us three times or less. It’s often in times of transition that people are vulnerable. We are here to give hope in the midst of those impossible choices.”

On top of challenges to afford housing, the research project found that newcomers struggled with wait times for housing. 

Nonkes hosted a community discussion about the report’s findings at North Perth Public Library, Listowel branch on Aug. 7. According to the minutes from that meeting, newcomers in attendance explained that housing has become more difficult, it seems, in the last two years, adding that it can take up to six months to rent. Another newcomer shared that they had a friend agree to rent a place, paid first and last month’s rent, but the place wasn’t ready in time and they still had to stay with friends until the place became ready. 

The report states that newcomers will often share housing to make it more affordable. 

“We heard of people who had eight roommates,” Nonkes told Perth County Council. 

A community organization representative in attendance to the Listowel meeting shared that there is not many apartments available beyond two bedroom units and they can cost between $1,600-$2,000 a month. They added that the cost of renting a 3-5 bedroom house is between $2,800-$3,500 monthly. 

According to the report, housing stability is an additional challenge for newcomers. 

“Housing stability refers to accessing a reliable, secure, reasonably priced, and suitable living environment,” the report states. “The number of moves a family must take is one of the most commonly used indicators of housing instability.” 

Nonkes’ presentation to Perth County Council showed that of the 40 people participating in the research project, ten people stayed in the first place they arrived in; 16 moved once; and, six moved twice or more times. 

The report states that newcomers struggle to find adequate housing, for example a home with enough bedrooms and bathrooms for everyone living in the home. According to minutes from the meeting, a community organization representative in attendance at the Listowel meeting explained that the rules around having no more than two children per bedroom is a big challenge for many families. For example a family of five living in a two bedroom apartment would require three kids to share a bedroom, with the parents occupying the other bedroom. 

“Sometimes a newcomer family of six will need to share a one-bedroom [apartment] to make it work financially,” a community organization representative stated in the minutes. “However, not all landlords will rent to people if they are a large group and the unit has one or two bedrooms.” 

In the report, landlord-tenant relations varied. 

“If the landlord was responsive, it was considered a good landlord,” Nonkes told council. 

He added that there were a few concerns about landlords’ views of immigrants that were expressed in the report. 

One Goderich participant shared their experiences in the report, “My husband found a house and he paid the first and the end of the rent. After two days they called my husband and said ‘just you are welcome in there’ (not me or my child). They said, ‘We are not sure you can afford this or manage all of the costs.’ So we couldn’t rent the house, even though my husband offered to pay for six months of the rent.”

It appears housing options are not affordable for newcomers, but they are also hard to find. 

The report states that there are gaps in the access to information about housings, including government support, tenant rights and house for rent advertising. 

“How do people find out where to live in Huron and in Perth, the number one way is through a friend or a family member … followed by social media and the internet and then real estate agents,” Nonkes told council. 

An anonymous source from North Huron shared the experiences of their friends, stating that newcomers struggling to find jobs in more urban areas, have had to turn down job opportunities in North Huron because they could not find a place to live and cab fees were too expensive as a commuting option. 

“[They] cannot afford to spend $100 to get to their employment, and then back again, it just does not work for them,” they said in a phone interview with Midwestern Newspapers. 

Despite the difficulties finding housing in Huron and Perth counties, the research project shared that newcomers appreciate living in small towns, feel safe, enjoy a slower pace of life and access to nature. Research also shares that newcomers also find local residents to be helpful and friendly. 

“They described locals as welcoming, generous, empathetic and willing to share information, and they really praised volunteers and neighbours who supported their adjustments to the new surroundings,” Nonkes told Perth County Council. 

Although the communities are liked, research indicates that many are unsure if they would stay in the community: housing affordability, proximity to essential services, as well as limited job opportunities and job advancements were key factors shared. 

“Many who wish to stay hope they could purchase their own home in the future, but several of them did not have permanent residency, and so they need permanent residency in order to purchase a home,” Nonkes said. 

Nonkes explained in a phone interview with Midwestern Newspapers that this information is being shared with all participating parties, before a second report is created recommending solutions for these local issues. This second report will again be shared with participating parties in spring of next year. 

“I think the big thing is, yes, we’re producing reports, but we also want these reports to be used by other organizations as a tool to improve their services and their delivery of housing information,” Nonkes said. “It’s not just on the County of Huron immigration partnership to take this tool and do all the work, but really we want to involve as many partners out there as possible … It’s really a collaborative effort to improve the experiences of newcomers in our community, so as many people who can get involved in that with their organizations, is what we’re aiming to do.”

The complete report is available online at www.huroncounty.ca/economic-development/immigration-partnership/. 

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