Homelessness Data Snapshot: Homelessness experienced by Newcomers to Canada

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Introduction

This analysis outlines trends in emergency shelter use by immigrants, refugees, asylum seekers, and Visa holders in Canada experiencing homelessness. The study also investigates the differences between newcomers and the general Canadian population regarding experiences of homelessness by observing national patterns of sheltered and unsheltered homelessness and demographic information.

Background

Immigration constituted 82% of Canadian population growth between 2018 and 2019.Footnote 1

Permanent residents

In 2019, Canada admitted approximately 341,180 new permanent residents (a 19% increase over 2017).Footnote 2 Footnote 3 This included an increase in the number of immigrants, refugees, and protected persons admitted annually over the 2017-2019 period.

Non-permanent residents

Similarly, 64,035 new asylum claimants were processed by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) in 2019 (a 27% increase over 2017).Footnote 4 Footnote 5 As of the end of 2019, 43,004 asylum claims were finalized and 87,343 claims were still pending. Footnote 6 Footnote 7 Over the 2017-2019 period, the number of temporary residents admitted annually through work and study permits also increased substantially.Footnote 8 Overall, the number of non-permanent residents (Visa holders and asylum-seekers) actively living in Canada increased by 171,536 between 2018 and 2019.Footnote 9 Refer to Appendix A for a Glossary of Terms.

For the purposes of this study, newcomers to Canada are defined as residents who have not obtained Canadian citizenship. Non-citizens account for approximately 7% of the Canadian population, of which about 3.1% were immigrants, 2.5% were refugees, 1.4% were work or study permit holders, and 0.1% were refugee claimants.Footnote 10 Footnote 11 Footnote 12 Footnote 13

Data

This report contains data from the following two sources:

  1. Administrative data from emergency shelters using the Homeless Individuals and Families Information System (HIFIS), and similar systems, from 2017 to 2019: The dataset includes approximately 200-250 emergency shelters per year, which accounts for about half of all emergency shelters over the study period and approximately 70% of the country's total emergency shelter beds. It contains information about shelter users, including demographic information and their citizenship status. The study methodology takes into account people who use more than one shelter. Domestic violence shelters, immigrant- and refugee-specific shelters, temporary shelters, and transitional housing are not included in this section of the analysis.
  2. Point-in-Time (PiT) Counts coordinated by the Homelessness Policy Directorate in 2018: This dataset contains key information on the size of the homeless population in participating communities as well as survey data providing information about demographic characteristics and experience of homelessness. The survey includes a question on the respondent's citizenship status at the time of their arrival to Canada.

Newcomers among those experiencing homelessness and among the Canadian population

Newcomers to Canada constituted an estimated 7.0% of the emergency shelter user population in 2017, meaning that newcomers are proportionally represented among the emergency shelter user population. Notably, refugee claimants are overrepresented, constituting 0.4% of the Canadian population in 2019, versus 3.1% of the shelter-using population in the same year.Footnote 14 Footnote 15 Footnote 16 Footnote 17

Shelter use among newcomers to Canada is likely disproportionately underestimated, due to a number of factors:

  • Access Without Fear policies in sanctuary cities result in undeclared or missing citizenship data for a number of large shelters in urban areas, in order to protect the personal information of newcomers. Toronto, Hamilton, London, and Montréal are designated as sanctuary cities in Canada.Footnote 18 Vancouver, Ajax, and Edmonton have also implemented local sanctuary policies.Footnote 19
  • Immigrant- and refugee-specific service providers are excluded from the national shelter analysis, as these services are not included in the data system for the homeless-serving sector, resulting in a lack of information regarding the overall landscape of newcomer-specific shelters.

Analysis of shelter use among newcomers

Shelter use among newcomers to Canada

In 2017, 9,021 emergency shelter users reported being newcomers to Canada, out of the total emergency shelter-using population of 129,017. In 2019, this figure increased to 10,077 newcomers out of 118,759. While estimated overall emergency shelter use decreased by 8.0% between 2017-2019, estimated emergency shelter use among newcomers increased by 11.7%. The estimated proportion of shelter users that are newcomers to Canada increased from 7.0% to 8.5%.

Figure 1: Newcomers among emergency shelter users, 2017-2019

  • Figure 1 - Text version

    Number of shelter users by newcomer status (percent of all shelter users)

    2017

    2018

    2019

    number

    percent

    number

    percent

    number

    percent

    Immigrant

    4593

    3.56%

    4077

    3.32%

    4457

    3.75%

    Refugee

    999

    0.77%

    1152

    0.94%

    1177

    0.99%

    Refugee Claimant

    2962

    2.30%

    3973

    3.23%

    3726

    3.14%

    Visa Holder

    467

    0.36%

    521 

    0.42%

    717

    0.60%

    Total Newcomers

    9021

    6.99%

    9723

    7.91%

    10077

    8.49%

Demographics of newcomers in emergency shelters

Newcomer shelter users tend to be younger than non-newcomer shelter users: 30.3% of newcomer shelter users were children or youth, compared to 20.0% of Canadian citizens in shelter. Though newcomers make up approximately 7% of the shelter population, they constituted about a quarter of accompanied children. Conversely, 14.8% of newcomer shelter users were aged 50+, compared with 25.2% of non-newcomer shelter users. Similar proportions of newcomers and non-newcomers were aged 25-49.

Figure 2: Age group of emergency shelter users by newcomer status, 2017-2019 (aggregate)

  • Figure 2 - Text version

    Age group distribution of shelter users by newcomer status

    0-16 accompanied (dependent children)

    13-24 unaccompanied (youth)

    25-49 (adults)

    50-64 (older adults)

    65+ (seniors)

    Canadian Citizen

    3.8%

    16.1%

    54.9%

    21.5%

    3.6%

    Immigrant

    7.2%

    17.5%

    54.4%

    16.9%

    3.9%

    Refugee

    9.8%

    16.9%

    59.9%

    11.2%

    2.2%

    Refugee Claimant

    26.7%

    11.3%

    54.2%

    7.1%

    0.7%

    Visa Holder

    7.0%

    25.9%

    52.8%

    12.0%

    2.5%

Compared to Canadian citizens, women were more prevalent among newcomer shelter users (38.7% of newcomers identified as women, versus 28.9% of Canadian citizens).

Nearly half (45.9%) of newcomers accessed shelter as part of a family, compared to only 13.4% of Canadian citizens. This rate was highest among refugee claimants, 71.6% of whom accessed shelter as part of a family.

Across all genders, newcomers were more likely than Canadian citizens to present in shelter as part of a family. 66.3% of female newcomers arrived to shelter in a family, compared to 28.6% of female citizens. Moreover, about a third of male newcomers arrived to shelter in a family, compared to about 7% of male citizens.Footnote 20

Geography of shelter use

Emergency shelters located in cities with valid citizenship data for at least 75% of shelter stays for a given year were analyzed to show the distribution of shelter use over urban and rural regions at a national level.Footnote 21 

Over the 2017-2019 period, newcomers were less likely to appear in rural shelters than citizens: 85.4% of newcomer shelter use occurred in urban locations (versus 69.6% of the non-newcomer shelter use). Between 84-89% of shelter use among immigrants, refugees, and asylum claimants occurred in urban locations. Notably, rural homelessness constituted 34.0% of shelter use among Visa holders.

Between 2017 and 2019, estimates of rural shelter use decreased significantly (-28.2%) and estimates of urban shelter use remained relatively stable (+1.1%). Estimates of newcomer shelter use in rural and urban areas increased by 18.0% and 7.8%, respectively. This means that the proportion of shelter users that are newcomers to Canada increased over the 2017-2019 period in both rural and urban locations.

Figure 3: Proportion of rural and urban shelter use by newcomer status, 2017-2019 (aggregate)*

  • Figure 3 - Text version

    Shelter use by geography and newcomer status

    Rural

    Urban

    Canadian Citizen

    30.4%

    69.6%

    Immigrant

    15.8%

    84.2%

    Refugee

    15.8%

    84.2%

    Refugee Claimant

    10.6%

    89.4%

    Visa Holder

    34.0%

    66.0%

    *Excludes gender-specific youth shelters and shelters specific to women with children, due to insufficient sampling units.

Shelter stay characteristics by family status and citizenship status

Newcomers tend to have much longer shelter stays than citizens: citizens average approximately 15 nights per stay, whereas immigrants average approximately 31 nights per stay, refugees average approximately 40 nights per stay, refugee claimants average approximately 66 nights per stay, and Visa holders average approximately 28 nights per stay.

Over the 2017-2019 period, average shelter stay length decreased, then increased for immigrants, refugees, and refugee claimants. For citizens and Visa holders, average shelter stay length and total annual shelter nights increased each year over the same period.

Families tend to have longer stay lengths across all newcomer statuses. The average shelter stay for clients in non-newcomer families is about 2.6 times longer than for individuals. The average stay for clients in families (versus individuals) is about 2.5 times longer for immigrants, about 1.6 times longer for refugees, 2.0 times longer for refugee claimants, and 2.9 times longer for Visa holders.*

Figure 4: Average stay length by family status and newcomer status, 2017-2019 (aggregate)**

  • Figure 4 - Text version

    Average stay length (in nights) by family status and citizenship status, 2017-2019 (aggregate)

    Families

    Individuals

    Canadian Citizen

    33.7

    13.2

    Immigrant

    57.1

    22.5

    Refugee

    53.2

    33.3

    Refugee Claimant

    79.2

    39.2

    Visa Holder

    62.2

    21.3

    **Excludes gender-specific youth shelters due to insufficient sampling units.

However, Canadian citizens are more likely to return to shelter than newcomers: approximately 70.2% of citizens exhibit multiple stays over the 2017-2019 period, versus 58.2% of immigrants, 47.8% of refugees, 27.4% of refugee claimants, and 43.1% of Visa holders. Individuals are associated with higher numbers of shelter stays annually than families across all newcomer statuses, though this is most pronounced in Canadian citizens.

Overall, this indicates that newcomers, and particularly those in families, tend to stay in shelter longer, but are less likely to experience returns to shelter.

Point-in-Time surveys: Analysis of homelessness among those who arrived in Canada as newcomers

Whereas the shelter data analysis provides a longitudinal analysis of people accessing the shelter system, the Point-in-Time count surveys provide a one-night snapshot of people experiencing homelessness inside and outside of the shelter system. Another key difference is that while shelter data indicates the current citizenship status of shelter users, the PiT count survey asks people about their status on arrival in Canada.

Overall, 14.3% of respondents identified having come to Canada as an immigrant (7.9%), refugee (2.5%), or refugee claimant (3.9%). The majority (55.6%) came to Canada 5 or more years ago, although a quarter (25.6%) came within the past 6 months.

Overnight location for people who arrived in Canada as newcomers

Although newcomers made up a minority of all respondents to the PiT count survey, their representation varied across locations. Newcomers were most highly represented in "Motel/Hotel" locations. These were locations where people were typically provided with a hotel or motel room in lieu of a space at a traditional homelessness shelter. Notably, in these locations, more than half (56%) of newcomer respondents indicated that they were refugee claimants.

Figure 5: Newcomer respondents by overnight location

  • Figure 5 - Text version

    Newcomer respondents by overnight location 

    Unsheltered

    Sheltered

    Transitional

    Motel/Hotel

    Hidden

    Non-newcomer

    95.0%

    81.1%

    86.8%

    50.7%

    96.0%

    Newcomer

    5.0%

    18.9%

    13.2%

    49.3%

    4.0%

Demographics of people experiencing homelessness who arrived in Canada as newcomers

Adults (aged 25-49) make up the majority of respondents for both newcomers and non-newcomers, although the representation of adults was particularly evident among refugees and refugee claimants.

Figure 6: Age distribution across newcomer categories

  • Figure 6 - Text version

     Age distribution across newcomer categories

    Youth (13-24)

    Adult (25-49)

    Older Adult (50-64)

    Senior (65+)

    Non-newcomer

    15.8%

    57.0%

    24.3%

    2.9%

    Immigrant

    13.4%

    55.5%

    24.4%

    6.7%

    Refugee

    11.4%

    68.6%

    17.0%

    2.9%

    Claimant

    8.6%

    77.5%

    13.7%

    0.2%

Although men typically represent 60 to 65% of PiT count survey respondents, newcomer categories had a greater representation of women. Notably, refugee claimants had the highest proportion of female respondents (59.1%). Gender-diverse respondents accounted for 2.3% of all respondents and rates were similar across newcomer and non-newcomer respondents.

Figure 7: Gender distribution across newcomer categories

  • Figure 7 - Text version

    Gender distribution across newcomer categories

    Female

    Male

    Gender Diverse

    Non-newcomer

    33.2%

    64.4%

    2.4%

    Immigrant

    39.6%

    58.6%

    1.8%

    Refugee

    48.1%

    49.7%

    2.2%

    Claimant

    59.1%

    39.1%

    1.7%

Single individuals made up the majority of the respondents, corresponding to 87% of all surveyed. However, a higher proportion of newcomers was seen in family types that include children, where they make up 47% of respondents in single-parent households and 69% of those in two-parent households.

Figure 8: Newcomer category per family type

  • Figure 8 - Text version

    Newcomer category per family type

    Non-newcomer

    Immigrant

    Refugee

    Claimant

    Single

    89.0%

    6.9%

    1.9%

    2.2%

    Couple (no kids)

    90.4%

    5.5%

    1.4%

    2.7%

    Couple (with kids)

    30.6%

    2.8%

    19.4%

    47.2%

    Single parent

    53.0%

    16.5%

    9.3%

    21.2%

Income sources received by newcomers experiencing homelessness

A total of 14,972 individuals provided a response the survey response of income type received. Participants were asked to select all types of income that apply. The following table displays the proportion of participants within each newcomer category that indicated that they receive a certain income.

The income type with the highest proportion of newcomer recipients was "Child and Family Tax Benefits", while refugees and refugee claimants were somewhat less likely to receive all types of income compared to non-newcomers and immigrants.

Table 1: Proportion of each newcomer group receiving each type of income

 

Non-newcomer

Immigrant

Refugee

Claimant

Employment

9.7%

12.2%

5.5%

3.7%

Informal / Self-Employment (e.g., Bottle Returns, Panhandling)

7.5%

3.4%

2.2%

0.7%

Employment Insurance

2.7%

3.4%

1.1%

0.9%

Welfare / Social Assistance

44.9%

33.4%

30.8%

29.2%

Disability Benefit

21.2%

12.1%

3.9%

1.3%

Seniors Benefits (e.g., CPP, OAS, GIS)

5.7%

7.2%

1.9%

0.2%

Child and Family Tax Benefits

3.4%

8.8%

6.9%

6.6%

Money from Family / Friends

4.2%

3.1%

2.5%

1.3%

GST Refund

8.1%

8.3%

6.3%

2.3%

Sample Size

12,793

1,152

364

562

Reasons for housing loss of newcomers experiencing homelessness

Survey respondents were asked what led to their most recent housing loss. They were able to provide multiple reasons. Among respondents who had come to Canada as a newcomer, "Unable to Pay Rent or Mortgage" was the reason most commonly cited for housing loss.

"Addiction or Substance Use" was the most often selected single reason for housing loss among non-newcomers, but it was less commonly cited among newcomers.

Some differences were seen across newcomer categories. For example, factors related to experiences of interpersonal conflict or abuse were typically more common among people who had arrived in Canada as immigrants than those who came as refugees or refugee claimants.

Table 2: Proportion of each newcomer group that indicated each reason for housing loss

 

Non-newcomer

Immigrant

Refugee

Claimant

Illness or Medical Condition

11.2%

9.6%

7.2%

6.3%

Addiction or Substance Use

27.5%

11.5%

7.7%

3.4%

Job Loss

13.9%

13.7%

15.3%

6.3%

Unable to Pay Rent or Mortgage

18.6%

19.5%

24.8%

23.1%

Experienced Abuse by: Spouse / Partner

8.0%

17.3%

11.7%

7.7%

Experienced Abuse by: Parent / Guardian

4.7%

7.9%

4.5%

2.4%

Conflict with: Spouse / Partner

14.4%

18.3%

10.8%

6.3%

Conflict with: Parent / Guardian

10.1%

11.6%

4.1%

3.9%

Incarcerated (Jail or Prison)

9.7%

4.7%

4.9%

1.0%

Hospitalization or Treatment Program

4.4%

2.5%

1.4%

1.0%

Unsafe Housing Conditions

10.5%

8.3%

10.4%

8.7%

Sample Size

10,865

956

222

208

First experience of homelessness and years in Canada

Respondents were asked at what age they first experienced homelessness. Over half of non-newcomers first experienced homelessness as a child or youth under the age of 25 (54% of respondents). Only 5.7% of those who experienced homelessness for the first time as a teen were newcomers.

An important consideration here is that the survey does not collect responses from accompanied children (i.e., dependents). This means that there may be a portion of the current homeless population that are children, and thus experienced homelessness for the first time as children, that are not included in this analysis. This group may involve newcomer and non-newcomer children. Furthermore, some dependent children may not continue to experience homelessness, and may never be surveyed through a PiT Count. Teens were included in the respondents to the survey.

Figure 9: Age of first experience of homelessness among newcomers

  • Figure 9 - Text version

    Age of first experience of homelessness among newcomers

    Child (0-12)

    Teen (13-17)

    Youth (18-24)

    Adult (25-49)

    Older Adult (50-64)

    Senior (65+)

    Claimant

    7.9%

    3.6%

    8.6%

    70.3%

    9.5%

    0.2%

    Refugee

    8.3%

    6.9%

    13.3%

    59.7%

    9.9%

    1.9%

    Immigrant

    5.9%

    12.2%

    15.7%

    48.9%

    14.5%

    2.8%

    Non-newcomer

    8.0%

    24.6%

    21.2%

    35.1%

    10.0%

    1.1%

Most respondents reported having their first experience of homelessness after their arrival in Canada, particularly people who came to Canada as immigrants. Refugee claimants were most likely to report that their first experience of homelessness was around the time of their arrival.

Figure 10: Timing of newcomers first experience of homelessness relative to their arrival in Canada

  • Figure 10 - Text version

    Timing of newcomers first experience of homelessness relative to their arrival in Canada

    Before Arrival

    Within one year

    After arrival

    Claimant

    18.0%

    73.5%

    8.5%

    Refugee

    18.6%

    42.2%

    39.1%

    Immigrant

    10.6%

    13.6%

    75.8%

Key findings

  • Newcomers to Canada are proportionally represented among those experiencing homelessness, relative to the general Canadian population. Notably, refugee claimants are overrepresented among those experiencing homelessness.
  • In 2019, 10,077 emergency shelter users reported newcomer status, which represented 8.5% of the total shelter-using population. While overall shelter use decreased between 2017 and 2019, newcomer homelessness increased.
  • Newcomers experiencing homelessness are more likely to identify as female than citizens, and more likely to experience homelessness as part of a family.
  • Newcomers are less likely to appear in rural shelters than citizens. However, the proportions of both rural and urban homelessness represented by newcomers increased over the 2017-2019 period.
  • Newcomers tend to have much longer shelter stays than citizens. Conversely, Canadian citizens are more likely to return to shelter than newcomers.
  • People who came as refugees or refugee claimants were less likely to report access to most income sources.
  • An inability to pay rent or mortgage was the most commonly cited reason for housing loss among newcomers.
  • Newcomers were less likely to experience homelessness for the first time under the age of 25.
  • Most newcomers first experience homelessness after their arrival in Canada, although for those who came as refugees or refugee claimants, many reported a first experience of homelessness within one year before or after their arrival.

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Appendix A: Glossary of TermsFootnote 22 Footnote 23

Refugee
a person who is forced to flee from persecution.
Permanent resident
a person who has been granted permanent resident status in Canada. The person may have come to Canada as an immigrant or as a refugee. Permanent residents who become Canadian citizens are no longer permanent residents.
Immigrant
a person who has voluntarily settled permanently in another country.
Resettled refugee
a refugee who has been offered a permanent home in a country while still outside that country. Refugees resettled to Canada are determined to be refugees by the Canadian government before they arrive in Canada (whereas refugee claimants receive a determination in Canada). For the purposes of this report, resettled refugees will simply be referred to as "refugees".
Protected person
according to Canada's Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, a person who has been determined by Canada to be either (a) a Convention Refugee or (b) a person in need of protection (i.e. a person who may not meet the Convention definition but is in a refugee-like situation defined in Canadian law as deserving of protection).
Non-permanent resident
a person who has been granted temporary resident status in Canada, or has not yet been granted permanent resident status.
Asylum-seeker (Also asylum claimant, refugee claimant)
a person who is seeking asylum. Until a determination is made, it is impossible to say whether the asylum-seeker is a refugee or not. The terms asylum-seeker, asylum claimant, and refugee claimant are used interchangeably in this report.
Visa holder
a person who has obtained a permit to reside temporarily in Canada for the purposes of work, study, or visiting.
Person without status (Also non-status newcomer)
a person who has not been granted permission to stay in the country, or has overstayed their visa. The term can cover a person who falls between the cracks of the system, such as a refugee claimant who is refused refugee status but not removed from Canada because of a situation of generalized risk in the country of origin.