| Summary: | Immigrants, especially those who are visible minorities, are at a socio-economic
disadvantage upon arrival relative to their Canadian-born counterparts. Refugee
claimants face additional barriers upon arrival owing to their specific mode of entry.
These compounded obstacles hamper the search for safe and affordable housing for
claimants, and places them at a high risk of relative homelessness. This thesis examines
the housing patterns of refugee claimants in the Greater Vancouver Regional District
(GVRD) by analyzing the residential trajectories of thirty-six refugee claimants. I,
furthermore, analyze the recent literature that focuses on the settlement patterns of
claimants in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver in order to facilitate a wider discussion on
the settlement needs of this particular group. In so doing, I explore various themes, such
as affordability, adequacy and safety, which are consistent issues for claimants across
Canada. This thesis argues that for many claimants, hidden homelessness is an inevitable
part of their settlement. This study moves forward to question why, given their socioeconomic
disadvantage over the average Canadian-born and other immigrants, are
claimants not finding themselves in absolute homelessness -living on the streets or in
shelter system? In order to assess this, I examine theories of social capital and networks
as potential resources used by recent claimants in order to offset barriers related to their
immigration status and escape the worst forms of homelessness. === Arts, Faculty of === Geography, Department of === Graduate
|
|---|
