What is the Relationship Between Refugees and Homelessness?

In a short period of time, the relationship between Canada’s refugee system and the homeless-serving sector has become a tense political issue. This article in the Globe and Mail from April 2018, highlights that refugee claimants now account for 40% of people staying in Toronto’s emergency shelters. This seems to stand in rather stark contrast to a report from last year that speaks to newcomer homelessness being a relatively hidden experience in Canada. Moreover, my own research, as well as others, has found that while struggling with housing suitability, very few of the Syrian refugees who came to Canada in 2016 have experienced housing loss.