Ethno-racial and nativity differences in access to affordable housing in Canada

Autor: Kate H. Choi, Sagi Ramaj
Rok vydání: 2022
Popis: Canadians are experiencing a housing affordability crisis, but little attention has been paid to its ethno-racial and nativity disparities. Using data from the 2016 Canadian Census, we assess whether the likelihood of living in unaffordable housing (i.e., spending 30% or more of pre-tax income on housing costs) varies by ethno-race and nativity status, and identify the social factors contributing to these differences. We show that Middle Eastern and North Africans (MENAs) are most, and Whites are least, likely to live in unaffordable housing. Results from decomposition analyses suggest that MENA individuals’ high unaffordable housing rates are largely attributable to their high unemployment rates. The high unaffordable housing rates of East and South Asians are mainly associated with their higher propensity to live in urban areas with expensive housing. Immigrants are generally more likely than Canadian-born co-ethnics to live in unaffordable housing. Blacks and Southeast Asians are exceptions. As many governments take steps to address housing affordability crises, they should curtail the influence of structural barriers that preclude ethno-racial minorities from living in affordable housing.
Databáze: OpenAIRE