Immigration to Canada is often driven by the pursuit of better economic opportunities. However, for many Canadian immigrants, that dream is becoming increasingly out of reach.

Immigrants compose 23 per cent of Canada’s population as of 2021, and 92 per cent of Canadian population growth in 2024 stem from immigration. Meanwhile, the country’s housing crisis has reached unprecedented levels. As the housing crisis escalates, a critical question remains: is Canada fulfilling its promise to financially support its newly welcomed immigrant population, or is it merely supporting certain demographics of immigrants? 

Canada has many programs, such as the Private Sponsorship of Refugees (PSR), which aim to resettle refugees by giving volunteer groups and settlement organizations the opportunity to sponsor them. However, it remains difficult for refugees to secure stable housing, primarily due to financial support systems like the Government-Assisted Refugees and Ontario Works programs that create confusing transition processes, as well as language barriers. 

Additionally, Canada has the second-highest house-price-to-income ratio in the world, leaving countless immigrants displaced or grappling with financial strain and housing insecurity. The stark disparity in housing availability among visible minorities and low-income communities disproportionately affects many immigrants and international students, whom Canada has pledged to support through various campaigns, particularly through encouraging international students to “Study, work and stay.” 

I believe Canada must address the systemic inequities within the housing market by prioritizing affordable housing development, ensuring fair treatment for all renters, and following through on the promises it makes to attract newcomers. 

Affordable housing crisis for international students

“Study, work and stay” is the slogan from the 2018 federal government campaign designed to attract more international students to Canada. The phrase seemingly implies that for newcomers, prioritizing education and employment will serve as a pathway to permanent residency. 

Despite Canada’s accreditation as a global leader in education, the housing conditions faced by international students — whom the country has encouraged to come — make it difficult for them to pursue the education they came for and nearly impossible to “stay.” An international student at George Brown College told CBC in 2023, “I am always moments away from a mental breakdown, just from the stress of wondering if I’m going to be homeless.” 

High rent prices in major Canadian cities like Toronto and Vancouver are leaving students with very few affordable housing options, many of which involve exploitative situations. GSL Global, a global network providing information on student lifestyles, reports that landlords have been engaging in discriminatory practices, such as demanding large payments upfront from international students.

It seems to me that while Canada has been successful in attracting international students, the financial hardship and inadequate living conditions caused by the country’s rising housing crisis will ultimately drive them away. International students already face higher tuition fees, and the challenges of adapting to life in a foreign country with the added burden of affording basic necessities will make their stay in Canada unsustainable. 

PSR’s promise versus Canada’s housing crisis

Canada’s implementation of the PSR initiative is commendable, but it is not without its flaws. The program allows specific Canadian groups — including Sponsorship Agreement Holders, Groups of Five, or Community Sponsors — to sponsor international refugees by providing housing, food, and emotional care for up to one year. 

The program also includes options such as the Blended Visa Office-Referred program, which reduces financial burdens by prioritizing the most vulnerable refugees’ entry, and the Joint Assistance Sponsorship program, which supports refugees with special needs for up to 24 months with government assistance. 

However, the PSR program depends entirely on the willingness and resources of private sponsors, making it an unreliable solution to the systematic problems of finding housing for refugees. For many, the harsh reality of overcrowded shelters and temporary accommodations quickly undermines the promise of stability in Canada, even with PSR arrangements in place. 

Refugees in Canada are often plagued with uncertainty and a lack of safety; one refugee described a city-operated shelter in Toronto she was placed in as “the worst nightmare of my life.” The shelter was reportedly poorly heated, overcrowded, and plagued by incidents of sexual harassment. 

I believe that while the PSR initiative offers a hopeful remedy to some aspects of the housing crisis, it remains a temporary solution to what is clearly a structural, long-term problem. 

Addressing the barriers to affordable housing

Most people in Canada — immigrants, refugees, international students, and citizens alike — are facing harsher ramifications of the housing crisis. While Canada has implemented relief programs like PSR and preached “Study, work and stay,” it still fails to address the deep-rooted structural barriers, such as discriminatory practices in the rental market, and the growing gap between wages and housing costs, which continue to prevent vulnerable populations from securing long-term, stable housing.

Canada needs to take accountability for their shortcomings in claiming to be open and welcoming to immigrants, international students, and refugees. Too many people continue to be displaced amid the housing crisis. If Canada is to live up to its reputation as a welcoming nation, it cannot afford to neglect the needs of its ever-growing population.

Vesa Lunji is a second-year student at University College studying health & disease and cell & molecular biology. She is an International Affairs columnist for The Varsity‘s Opinion section.