Newcomers' Perceptions of How Housing Discrimination Affected Their Health and Sense Of Wellbeing

Housing discrimination is a common problem experienced by disadvantaged groups in Torontos private housing markets, including newcomers. As a result, distribution of the burden of affordable housing shortage is skewed against members of the affected groups, exacerbating their vulnerabilities and exposing them to ill-health. Using one-on-one research interviews, my research investigated newcomers perceptions on how their experiences with housing discrimination related to their health. It began by exploring newcomers experiences with differential impact housing discrimination in Torontos private rental housing market: landlords/ housing providers application of various rules on disadvantaged house-seekers without making necessary accommodations to level the playing field for them, which aggravates their position of disadvantage. To contextualize newcomers experiences with differential impact housing discrimination, I examined the environment in which it was experienced, including, other forms of discrimination that may have intersected with and compounded its impact; as well as factors that enabled such discrimination to occur despite legislation against it.
The research revealed widespread experiences with differential impact housing discrimination among newcomers, such as landlords requirement for possession of proof of employment, Canadian credit history in order to qualify for private rental housing. Demands by some landlords for payment of illegal large deposits and key money, were also revealed. Real and perceived forms of housing discrimination based on race, ethnicity and gender, practiced alongside differential impact housing discrimination were also exposed: differential treatment housing discrimination by definition. While racialized newcomers experienced these different forms of housing discrimination, their white counterparts did not. Affected newcomers reported experiencing health problems such as stress, anxiety, hypertension, and asthma while they were experiencing housing discrimination and after. They blamed their experiences with housing discrimination for aggravating their situations and contributing to the negative health outcomes.