Academic literature on the topic 'Low-income housing – Canada'

AbstractObjectives:To compare food expenditure patterns between low-income households and higher- income households in the Canadian population, and to examine the relationship between food expenditure patterns and the presence or absence of housing payments among low-income households.Design:Secondary data analysis of the 1996 Family Food Expenditure Survey conducted by Statistics Canada.Setting:Sociodemographic data and 1-week food expenditure data for 9793 households were analysed.Subjects:Data were collected from a nationally representative sample drawn through stratified multistage sampling. Low-income households were identified using Statistics Canada's Low Income Measures.Results:Total food expenditures, expenditures at stores and expenditures in restaurants were lower among low-income households compared with other households. Despite allocating a slightly greater proportion of their food dollars to milk products, low-income households purchased significantly fewer servings of these foods. They also purchased fewer servings of fruits and vegetables than did higher-income households. The effect of low income on milk product purchases persisted when the sample was stratified by education and expenditure patterns were examined in relation to income within strata. Among low-income households, the purchase of milk products and meat and alternatives was significantly lower for households that had to pay rents or mortgages than for those without housing payments.Conclusions:Our findings indicate that, among Canadian households, access to milk products and fruits and vegetables may be constrained in the context of low incomes. This study highlights the need for greater attention to the affordability of nutritious foods for low-income groups.

AbstractObjectivesA number of studies have pointed to the pressure that housing costs can exert on the resources available for food. The objectives of the present study were to characterise the relationship between the proportion of income absorbed by housing and the adequacy of household food expenditures across the Canadian population and within income quintiles; and to elucidate the impact of receipt of a housing subsidy on adequacy of food expenditures among low-income tenant households.DesignThe 2001 Survey of Household Spending, conducted by Statistics Canada, was a national cross-sectional survey that collected detailed information on expenditures on goods and services. The adequacy of food spending was assessed in relation to the cost of a basic nutritious diet.SettingCanada.SubjectsThe person with primary responsibility for financial maintenance from 15 535 households from all provinces and territories.ResultsAs the proportion of income allocated to housing increased, food spending adequacy declined significantly among households in the three lowest income quintiles. After accounting for household income and composition, receipt of a housing subsidy was associated with an improvement in adequacy of food spending among low-income tenant households, but still mean food spending fell below the cost of a basic nutritious diet even among subsidised households.ConclusionsThis study indicates that housing costs compromise the food access of some low-income households and speaks to the need to re-examine policies related to housing affordability and income adequacy.

The garden suburb of Lindenlea in Ottawa was designed by Thomas Adams and built by the Ottawa Housing commission to provide a model of low-income housing to municipalities across Canada in the post-World War One period. The planning of the suburb and the design of its houses reveal many of the ideological premises of the urban reform movement in Canada, and of the federal government's attitude toward publicly subsidized housing, in this early period of social welfare. Modern theories of rationalization, efficiency, and standardization, combined with late Victorian notions about physical, social and moral health, to produce housing designs that were technologically modern yet ideologically traditional.

This study identifies time-patterned trajectories of housing stability among homeless and vulnerably housed individuals who participated in a multisite four-year longitudinal study in Canada. Findings show four distinct trajectories for the homeless and vulnerably housed: high levels of sustained housing stability, improving levels over time leading to high levels of housing stability, decreasing levels of housing stability over time, and low levels of housing stability over time. The presence of resources rather than risk factors differentiated the trajectories of participants who achieved housing stability from those who had low levels of housing stability. Participants who had better housing stability were more likely to live in subsidized housing. Findings highlight the need for programs and policies directed at addressing the housing affordability problem through income support strategies and the creation of affordable housing.

In recent years, urban neighborhoods in many Western nations have undergone neighborhood restructuring initiatives, especially in public housing developments. Regent Park, Canada's oldest and largest public housing development, is a neighborhood currently undergoing ‘neighborhood revitalization’ based on the social mix model. One tenet of this model is the idea that original public housing residents are benefiting from interactions with middle class residents. Based on qualitative interviews and ethnographic observations with original housing residents as well as new middle–class homeowners, we examine whether cross–class interactions actually occur “on the ground” in Regent Park. By examining an iteration of the model that differs with respect to the direction of resident movement—that is, the revitalization of Regent Park involves more advantaged residents buying into the once low–income neighborhood, as opposed to providing lower–income residents with housing vouchers to move out of the community (and into more affluent neighborhoods across the city)—our study provides a unique contribution to the existing research on social mix. In particular, our research examines whether the direction of this resident movement has any distinct or demonstrable impact on: (1) the daily perceptions, attitudes, and actions of original and new residents, and (2) the nature of cross–class interactions. Second, unlike the vast majority of studies done in Europe and the United States, which are conducted “postrevitalization,” we examine the effects of neighborhood revitalization as the process unfolds.

There is little empirical evidence in the literature about the indoor environmental quality performance of residential buildings in general and of social housing in particular. To address this problem, this study used a mixed-method approach to evaluate the indoor environmental quality performance of 17 green low-income single attached family houses in Brandon, Manitoba, Canada. Questionnaires were administered to occupants to assess their snapshot and long-term satisfaction with the indoor environment. In addition, snapshot measurements were carried out to evaluate the indoor environmental quality factors of thermal comfort, indoor air quality, lighting and acoustics. Occupants' snapshot satisfaction was categorized into two groups (i.e. satisfied/comfortable or dissatisfied/uncomfortable) and compared with snapshot measurements. The results showed the measured IEQ parameters were well below recommended threshold levels. Further, occupants with higher snapshot satisfaction were generally exposed to relatively lower levels of indoor pollutants. A statistically significant difference was found in PM10 level only between the snapshot satisfied and snapshot dissatisfied groups of occupants. Apparent sound transmission classes were below the standard reference value of 50, suggesting potential problems in noise attenuation within different spaces in each apartment and between apartments. The findings of this study could help governments implement green shadowing for public-housing and also renovate existing houses using the same principles.

Introduction Housing affects an individual’s physical and mental health, particularly among people who use substances. Understanding the association between individual characteristics and housing status can inform housing policy and help optimize the care of people who use drugs. The objective of this study was to explore the factors associated with unstable housing among people who use drugs in Ottawa. Methods This is a cross-sectional analysis of data from 782 participants in the Participatory Research in Ottawa: Understanding Drugs (PROUD) Study. PROUD is a prospective cohort study of people who use drugs in Ottawa. Between March and December 2013, participants were recruited through peer-based recruitment on the streets and in social services settings and completed a peer-administered questionnaire that explored socio-demographic information, drug use patterns, community integration, experiences with police and incarceration, and access to health care and harm reduction services. Eligibility criteria included age of 16 years or older, self-reported illicit drug use within the past 12 months and having lived in Ottawa for at least 3 months. Housing status was determined by self-report. “Stable housing” was defined as residence in a house or apartment and “unstable housing” was defined as all other residence types. Exploratory multivariable logistic regression analyses of the association between characteristics of people who use drugs and their housing status were conducted. Results Factors that were associated with unstable housing included: recent incarceration; not having a regular doctor; not having received support from a peer worker; low monthly income; income source other than public disability support payments; and younger age. Gender, language, ethnicity, education level, opioid use and injection drug use were not independently associated with housing status. Conclusions People who use drugs face significant barriers to stable housing. These results highlight key areas to address in order to improve housing stability among this community.

COVID-19 has shone a harsh light on the extent of poverty in Canada. When normal economic activity was interrupted by the exigencies of public health driven lockdowns, the shutdown disproportionately affected people who, before the pandemic, were living on incomes beneath the poverty line or dependent upon low-paying hourly remunerated jobs, usually part time and without appropriate benefits. Those living beneath the poverty line in Canada, three million of welfare poor and working poor, include a disproportionately large population of Black and Indigenous people and people of colour. This paper addresses the challenge of inclusive economic recovery. In particular, we propose that the federal government introduce a Basic Income guarantee for all residents of Canada as part of a comprehensive social safety net that includes access to housing, child care, mental and physical health care, disability supports, education, and the many other public services essential to life in a high-income country. Residents with no other income would receive the full benefit that would be sufficient to ensure that no one lives in poverty, while those with low incomes would receive a reduced amount.

Purpose This paper aims to present a panel data econometric model of the main determinants of house prices in the ten largest census metropolitan areas (CMA) in Ontario, Canada, for the years 2001, 2006 and 2011. The impact of immigration on the housing market in Canada is little researched; however, immigration plays an important role into the economy of Canada. According to Statistics Canada, not only is immigration key to Canada’s population growth but also without immigration, in the next 20 years, Canada’s population growth will be zero. The motivation for this study is the bursting of housing bubbles in some developed countries (e.g. USA). The authors analyze variables that are related to the immigration policy in Canada, accounting also for the impact of the interest rate, income, unemployment, household size and housing supply to analyze housing price determinants. The study investigates the magnitude of the impact of the top three leading categories of immigrants to Canada, namely, Chinese, Indian and Filipino, on the housing prices in Ontario’s largest cities. The results show the main factors that explain home prices over time that are interest rate, immigration, unemployment rate, household size and income. Over the 10-year period from 2001 to 2011, immigration grew by 400 per cent in Toronto CMA, the largest receiving area in Ontario, while the nonimmigrant population grew by 14 per cent. For Toronto CMA, immigrants, income, unemployment rate and interest rate explain the CA$158,875 average home price increase over the 2001-2011 time period. Out of this, the three categories of immigrants’ share of total home price increase is 54.57 per cent, with the corresponding interest rate share 58.60 per cent and income share 11.32 per cent of the total price growth. Unemployment rate contributes negatively to the housing price and its share of the total price increase is 24.49 per cent. Design/methodology/approach The framework for the empirical analysis applies the hedonic pricing model theory to housing sales prices for the ten largest CMAs in Ontario over the years 2001-2011. Following Akbari and Aydede (2012) and O’Meara (2015), market clearing in the housing market results in the housing price as a function of several housing attributes. The authors selected the housing attributes based on data availability for the Canadian Census years of 2001, 2006 and 2011 and the variables that have been most used in the literature. The model has the average housing prices as the dependent variable, and the independent variables are: immigrants per dwelling (Chinese, Indian, and Filipino), unemployment rate, average employment income, household size, housing supply and the interest rate. To capture the relative scarcity of dwellings, the independent variable immigrants per dwelling was used. Findings This study seems to suggest that one cause of high prices in Ontario is large inflows of immigrants together with low mortgage interest rate. The authors focused their attention on Toronto CMA, as it is the main destination of immigrants and comprises the largest cities, including Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton and Oakville. Looking over the 10-year period from 2001 to 2011, the authors can see the factors that impact the home prices in Toronto CMA: immigration, unemployment rate, household size, interest rate and income. Over the period of 10 years from 2001 to 2011, immigrants’ group from China, India and the Philippines account for CA$86,701 increase in the home price (54.57 per cent share of the total increase). Income accounts for CA$17,986 increase in the home price (11.32 per cent share); interest rate accounts for CA$93,103 of the average home price increase in Toronto CMA (58.60 per cent share); and unemployment rate accounts for CA$38,916 decrease in the Toronto average home prices (24.49 per cent share). Household size remain stable over time in Toronto (2.8 average household size) and does not have a contribution to home price change. All these four factors, interest rate, immigrants, unemployment rate and income, together explain CA$158,875 increase in home prices in Toronto CMA between 2001 and 2011. Practical implications The housing market price analysis may be more complex, and there may be factors impacting the housing prices extending beyond immigration, interest rate, income and household size. Finally, the results of this paper can be extended to include the most recent census data for the year 2016 to reflect more accurately the price situation in the housing market for Ontario cities. Social implications The fact that currently, in 2017, the young working population cannot afford buying a property in the Toronto CMA area means there is a problem with this market and a corresponding decrease in the quality of life. According to The Globe and Mail (July 2017), a new pool in 2017 suggested that two in five Canadians believe housing in this country is not affordable for them. Further, 38 per cent of respondents who consider themselves middle or upper class believe in no affordability of housing. The Trudeau Government promised Canadians a national housing strategy for affordable housing. Designing a national housing strategy may be challenging because it has to account for the differential income ranges across regions. Municipal leaders are asking the government to prioritize repair and construct new affordable housing. Another reason discussed in the media of the unaffordability of housing in Toronto and Vancouver is foreign buyers. The Canadian Government recently implemented a tax measure on what it may seem the housing bubble problem: foreign buyers. Following Vancouver, in April 2017, Ontario Government imposed a 15 per cent tax on foreign buyers who are not Canadian citizens or permanent residents. This tax is levied on houses purchased in the area stretching from Niagara Region and Greater Toronto to Peterborough. Originality/value Few studies use Canadian data to explain house prices and analyze the effect of immigration on housing prices. There is not much research on the effect of the immigrants and immigrants’ ethnicity (e.g., Chinese, Indian and Filipino immigrants), on the housing prices in Canada cities. This study investigates the impact of the most prevalent immigrant races (e.g., from China, India and the Philippines) on housing prices, using data for Canadian major cities in Ontario within a panel data econometric framework. This paper fills this gap and contributes to the literature, which analyzes the determinants of housing prices based on a panel of cities in the Canadian province of Ontario.

Research has shown high levels of housing precarity among government-assisted refugees (GARs) connected to difficult housing markets, limited social benefits, and other social and structural barriers to positive settlement (Lumley-Sapanski, 2021). The COVID-19 pandemic has likely exacerbated this precarity. Research to date demonstrates the negative consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic for refugees and low-income households, including both health-related issues and economic challenges, that may exacerbate their ability to obtain affordable, suitable housing (Jones & Grigsby-Toussaint, 2020; Shields & Alrob, 2020). In this context, we examined Syrian government-assisted refugees’ experiences during the pandemic, asking: how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted Syrian refugees’ experiences of housing stability. To examine this issue, we interviewed 38 families in Calgary, London, and Fredericton. Using a qualitative descriptive methodology for analysis and interpretation (Thorne et al., 1997), we found the liminality of settling as a GAR has been compounded by isolation, further economic loss, and new anxieties during the pandemic. Ultimately, for many participants, the pandemic has thwarted their housing stability goals and decreased their likelihood of improving their housing conditions. Based on our findings, we discuss potential policy and practice relevant solutions to the challenges faced by refugees in Canada during the pandemic and likely beyond.

The government has through many legislations initiated programs to provide housing for those who cannot afford housing in the private market. From 1945, the government has continuously tried to fulfill those housing needs and to improve living conditions. This thesis is an overview of the policies, programs and livability of low rental housing in Canada.
This study is divided into three parts. In the first part, there is a factual description of the circumstances and policies that have influenced the development of low rental housing since 1945. The second part assesses the demand and tenant characteristics for such housing. Three types of low income housing: public housing, low rental housing and cooperatives, are compared to measure their merits. The third part analyses the design criteria for such housing with reference to projects built in Montreal, Quebec. Tenants' opinions on what is satisfactory in housing projects are discussed and appropriate management policies are suggested. In the conclusion, government policies of the past, and some recent developments are summarized, and future strategies suggested.

This dissertation centers on a Canadian welfare state institution dubbed by the author, Hawthorne House. Hawthorne House is a housing project for low-income lone mothers studying and living in Canada. This study examines how neoliberalism as an ideology and practice infiltrates Hawthorne House as officials attempt to produce self-governing residents who are 'obliged to be free' and self-regulate. The manner in which residents (i.e., the lone mothers) and officials (i.e., the tools of the state that are merely carrying out ideology, instrumentalizing it) navigate the terrain of the home is coloured by their social locations. While both groups share gender, they tend to be in opposition along class and racial lines. Consequently, how neoliberalism enters and acts is nuanced along these categorical positions. A Foucaultian analysis informs the analysis of neoliberalism's penetration by explicating the ways in which neoliberalism acts as a regulatory ideology and practice à la Foucault. In other words, neoliberalism is not merely about rolling back the state; in Hawthorne House it acts as a disciplinary device to control the marginalized and disposed. This dissertation draws on in-depth interviews with residents, officials, and volunteers; field observations; and an examination of textual sources (e.g., brochures, posters) in order to assess the impact of the program on the residents' quality of life. The research documents how residents' lives are exceedingly ruled; however, what is far more profound is that the Hawthorne House program professes to motivate and enable mobility, while seemingly doing the opposite. Officials fail to contextualize the lives of low-income lone mothers, essentially ignoring, pathologizing, and individualizing social inequalities. While officials display confidence in the emancipatory power of capitalism and stress the central tenets of neoliberal governmentality – including independence and self-reliance – they ignore neoliberal capitalism's failure to deliver on such promises. Residents, on the other hand, perceive reliance on the state, familial supports, and their community to be advantageous – even an admirable mark of independence since it improves the financial security of their families, whilst securing their children's material and emotional security. The dissertation illuminates why programs like Hawthorne House, which remove low-income lone mothers from kinship networks and the like, may be less successful than those aimed at increasing reliance on others, including the state and the family.
Cette dissertation se base sur une institution d'État-providence canadienne doublée par l'auteur, la Maison de Hawthorne. La Maison de Hawthorne est un projet de logement pour les mères célibataires à faible revenu qui étudient et résident au Canada. L'étude décortique comment le néolibéralisme en tant qu'idéologie et pratique infiltre la Maison Hawthorne quand les fonctionnaires essaient de créer des résidents autonomes qui sont 'obligés d'être libres'. La manière dont les résidents (c'est-à-dire, les mères célibataires) et les fonctionnaires (c'est-à-dire, les pions de l'état qui exécutent l'idéologie, l'instrumentalisant) naviguent le terrain de la maison est faussé par leurs places sociales. Même si les deux groupes sont du même sexe, ils ont tendance à s'opposer par rapport à la classe et la race. Par conséquent, l'agissement du néolibéralisme est nuancé le long de ces positions catégoriques. Une analyse foucaldienne dénonce l'analyse de la pénétration du néolibéralisme en explorant les manières dont le néolibéralisme agit comme une idéologie de contrôle et une pratique à la Foucault. Autrement dit, le néolibéralisme ne se contente pas d'arriérer l'état; dans la Maison Hawthorne, il agit comme un appareil disciplinaire pour contrôler ceux qui sont marginalisés et disposés.La dissertation s'appuie sur des entrevues détaillées avec les résidents, les fonctionnaires et les volontaires; des observations de terrain; et une étude de sources textuelles (par exemple, les brochures, les affiches) pour évaluer l'impact du programme sur la qualité de la vie des résidents. La recherche dévoile à quel point la vie de résidents est extrêmement statuée; pourtant, ce qui est bien plus profond est que le programme de Maison Hawthorne prétend motiver et permettre la mobilité, en faisant apparemment l'inverse. Les fonctionnaires ne conceptualisent pas les vies de mères célibataires à faible revenu, essentiellement en ignorant, pathologisant et individualisant des inégalités sociales. Pendant que les fonctionnaires affichent la confiance de pouvoir émancipatrice du capitalisme et qu'ils insistent sur les doctrines centrales du gouvernementalisme néolibéral – incluant l'indépendance et la dépendance de soi – ils ignorent l'échec du capitalisme néolibéral de livrer à de telles promesses. D'autre part, les résidents perçoivent une dépendance de l'état, les soutiens familiaux et leur communauté pour être avantageux – même une marque admirable d'indépendance puisqu'il améliore la sécurité financière de leurs familles, tout en protégeant la sécurité matérielle et émotionnelle de leurs enfants. La dissertation explique pourquoi les programmes comme la Maison Hawthorne, qui supprime les faibles revenus des mères célibataires provenant des réseaux de parenté et autres de ce genre, sont peut-être moins réussis que ceux visant l'augmentation de la dépendance des autres, incluant l'état et la famille.

Ontario’s current regulatory approach to low-income housing lies between two primary challenges: the human right to housing, and political/fiscal constraints. This thesis draws on legal theory and economic analysis of law to articulate the proper goals of housing access policy. A structural theory is proposed to explain the normative relationship between efficiency, communitarianism and justice in housing. An array of regulatory options are compared and considered in light of the features that characterize Ontario’s low-income rental housing markets. This analysis favours demand-side housing subsidies to low-income households, combined with supply-side tax expenditures to improve elasticity in the low-income rental market. Further reform of rent and covenant controls, social and affordable housing supply, and land use planning is recommended to ensure an efficient residential tenancy market. These reforms are offered as a framework for the implementation of the human right to housing in Ontario.

In Canada, an unacceptable number of women live below the poverty threshold. Some subgroups of women, such as Indigenous, visible minorities, immigrants and refugees, older adults, and single mothers are more likely to live in poverty, as they face multiple systemic barriers preventing their financial stability. Further, socioeconomic status, employment, gender, and access to healthcare and social services negatively impact women’s well-being and health. Yet little is known about how these factors affect healthcare behaviours and experiences for women living on a low income. Our goal is to describe and understand how gender and income influence access to healthcare and social services for women living on a low income. Methods: Partnered with a not-for-profit organization, we explored the experiences of women living on a low income in Kingston, Canada. Using participatory, art-based research and hermeneutic phenomenological approaches, our data collection methods included photovoice, semi-structured interviews and culture circles. A purposive sample was recruited. Analysis was conducted following the social determinants of health framework by Loppie-Reading and Wien. Results: Participants perceived the healthcare and social services systems as unnecessarily complex, disrespectful, and dismissive–one where they are mere spectators without voice. They do not feel heard. They also identified problematic issues regarding living conditions, housing, and fresh food. Despite these experiences, participants are resilient and optimistic. Implications: Learning from participants has indicated priority issues and potential, pragmatic solutions to begin incremental improvements. Changing system design to enable self-selection of food items is one example. Conclusion: For an individual to feel others view them as unworthy of care, especially if those ‘others’ are the care providers, is ethically and morally distressing–and it certainly does not invite system-use. While our early findings reveal considerable system improvements are required, we are inspired by and can learn from the strength of the participants.

In Canada, an unacceptable number of women live below the poverty threshold. Some subgroups of women, such as Indigenous, visible minorities, immigrants and refugees, older adults, and single mothers are more likely to live in poverty, as they face multiple systemic barriers preventing their financial stability. Further, socioeconomic status, employment, gender, and access to healthcare and social services negatively impact women’s well-being and health. Yet little is known about how these factors affect healthcare behaviours and experiences for women living on a low income. Our goal is to describe and understand how gender and income influence access to healthcare and social services for women living on a low income. Methods: Partnered with a not-for-profit organization, we explored the experiences of women living on a low income in Kingston, Canada. Using participatory, art-based research and hermeneutic phenomenological approaches, our data collection methods included photovoice, semi-structured interviews and culture circles. A purposive sample was recruited. Analysis was conducted following the social determinants of health framework by Loppie-Reading and Wien. Results: Participants perceived the healthcare and social services systems as unnecessarily complex, disrespectful, and dismissive–one where they are mere spectators without voice. They do not feel heard. They also identified problematic issues regarding living conditions, housing, and fresh food. Despite these experiences, participants are resilient and optimistic. Implications: Learning from participants has indicated priority issues and potential, pragmatic solutions to begin incremental improvements. Changing system design to enable self-selection of food items is one example. Conclusion: For an individual to feel others view them as unworthy of care, especially if those ‘others’ are the care providers, is ethically and morally distressing–and it certainly does not invite system-use. While our early findings reveal considerable system improvements are required, we are inspired by and can learn from the strength of the participants.

Housing occupies about 70 percent of the land area of a typical city. That land area is not randomly distributed, but instead follows regular spatial patterns; these patterns are sectorial and radial (see Hoyt 1939; chapter 2). These geographic patterns form housing submarkets. Specific demographic groups are attracted to housing in those submarkets. As there are many kinds of demographic characteristics of households, there are also many types of housing, and many housing submarkets. Housing submarkets include downtowns, middle-burbs, suburbs; high income; middle income, and low income; new development, mixed use, older development, and mixed new infill with older development; apartments, condominiums; townhouses, high rises, and single-family dwellings. The market analyst makes recommendations on which type of development will be most successful in which submarket and on which submarket would be appropriate for a particular type of development (see Sumichrast and Seldin 1977). Few people today choose to live without the benefit of some type of housing. The choice and availability of what type of housing to live in depends on a complex interaction of many factors, including culture, the natural and built environment, technological scale of society, government, income, stage of life cycle, economics of building construction, and knowledge and imagination of those building the housing. This chapter presents a broad overview of housing market analysis. In the overview, the determinants to demand and supply of housing are presented (See also Harvey, 1992). There is a broad overview of forecasting procedures and methodologies, the methods for projecting absorption rate, housing demand, and competitive supply, and how sales prices and rental prices might be determined. In the last quarter of the nineteenth century, upper-middle-income urban households in the United States and Canada often lived in what are today commonly referred to as Victorian houses. These houses were designed for multigenerational living, including grandparents as the head of household, their children, and their grandchildren. Aunts, uncles, and cousins might have lived in the same dwelling. All the family subunits contributed to the finances of maintaining the house. This provided social security to the elder members of the household, and inexpensive yet high-quality living conditions for the other family members.

This chapter examines the lived experiences of very low-income and marginalized residents in a mid-sized Canadian city. It demonstrates that the concept of ‘home’ that often exists outside of one's own dwelling, particularly for unsheltered people. It talks about how many spaces that functioned as ‘living rooms’ closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, meaning that residents faced not only the pre-existing threats of gentrification and displacement, but a significant disruption to their daily lives. The chapter addresses the question on what happens to marginalized communities that were already facing gentrification and displacement pressures when a major pandemic arrives. It focuses on the everyday lives, challenges, experiences, and opportunities of some of the most marginalized members of the community.

Deprivation and discrimination, including the destruction of housing settlements, forced evictions, and persistent violence, led a portion of Europe’s 12 million Roma to seek refuge in the United States and Canada. Approximately 1 million Roma live in the United States, and 80,000 Roma currently live in Canada. Profound experiences of injustice in their home countries have led Roma in the United States to keep their lives hidden from mainstream society. The Roma as a race/ethnicity is not accounted for in any American surveys, and research on their well-being in the United States is scarce. This chapter fills knowledge gaps by presenting a one-of-a-kind comprehensive literature review synthesizing empirical evidence on the lives of Roma people and their youth in the United States by applying the positive youth development (PYD) framework that focuses on promoting positive asset-building for youth and seeing youth as vital resources in development strategies. In doing so, the chapter advances beyond the more usual narrative that has focused on the problems of Roma youth to examine the mechanisms that can enable them to flourish in the United States. Romani youth is a case study example of youth of color in general; this chapter adds to the body of knowledge that examines how PYD development matters for positive developmental outcomes of a minority group that has experienced socioeconomic disparities strictly because of the stigma of their identity.