In November 2020, researchers from the Alberta Workers Association for Research and Education (AWARE), Migrante-Alberta, and York University released a report titled "Precarious Workers and Precarious Housing: Investigating Stories of Migrant Workers’ Housing Struggles in Edmonton, Alberta" that investigates the current and ongoing challenges the migrant worker community in Edmonton face around homelessness and housing insecurity.
The report was prepared by Whitney Haynes (AWARE), Marco Luciano (Migrante-Alberta), Deanna Neri (University of Alberta/Migrante-Alberta), Mycah Panjaitan (York University), and Ethel Tungohan (York University).
From the Executive Summary:
"Our research reveals that migrant workers face the following challenges: racialized stigma as migrant workers and/or as racialized immigrants made it harder for them to rent apartments; low wages; precarious immigration status; on-going employer surveillance; a lack of access to formal housing supports; gender-based violence; health issues, and the absence of feeling at-home. These challenges are compounded by the lack of knowledge expressed by settlement service providers around immigration policy or funding to fully support the needs of migrant workers. In response to these concerns, this report has made the following recommendations: coordination between government actors and community organizations to effectively support migrant workers; regularization policies and programs to allow every resident access to services, and development of a community center catering to the needs of migrant workers."
Read the full report here and find it featured in our COVID-19 Blog here.