This work is an extension of a longer-term project that began in 2015, in which the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives partnered with Welcome Place, the housing arm of the Manitoba Interfaith Immigration Council (MIIC), which provides housing, legal and settlement supports for newly arriving refugees in Winnipeg.
Three main objectives animate this larger research project. The first is to demonstrate the challenges and successes that resettling refugees (a term described below) have in obtaining adequate and affordable housing after arriving in Winnipeg. The second is to demonstrate the relationships between the cost and availability of housing, social supports and employment in the context of settlement. The third, related objective is to demonstrate how social, public or otherwise ‘supported’ housing can positively affect the lives of resettling refugees.
A companion piece, “Resettling Refugees’ Social Housing Stories” is also now available. The intention with the present paper is to build on our assessment in the previous work. Ultimately, we are interested in understanding the relationships between cost of housing, suitability of housing, and the resettlement process. This paper includes the accounts of nine interviewees who have desired to have, applied for, or attained social housing.
