Research Bulletin

A Comparison of the Rental Housing Experiences of
Polish and Somali Newcomers in Toronto
Robert A. Murdie
Number 9, July 2002, 6 pages View the PDF

The housing experiences of Polish and Somali immigrants who arrived in Toronto between 1987 and 1994 show important differences. Researchers asked representatives of 60 households in each of the two groups about their criteria in choosing accommodation, how long it had taken them to find somewhere to live, whether they had faced discrimination in the housing market, and whether they were satisfied with their current housing and neighbourhood. The researchers also asked about the differences between the type of housing first occupied after arrival in Canada and housing occupied more recently. The results suggest that Somalis face more discrimination than Poles, and that over time, the Polish immigrants have moved from smaller to larger units, whereas the Somalis had moved from larger to smaller, less expensive units.