Affordable Housing and Homelessness in Ontario: Addressing the Needs of Immigrants from Southern Africa

One of the most pressing socioeconomic challenges affecting a variety of communities, including
Indigenous peoples, immigrants, and refugees, is the shortage of affordable housing in Ontario.
For many people, especially those from racialized and underprivileged communities,
homelessness has become a reality as housing costs rise and waitlists for affordable apartments
lengthen. While it is often known that many Canadian immigrants and Indigenous people are
experiencing homelessness, immigrants from Southern Africa are one group that is
disproportionately affected by poverty and homelessness.
Despite being a part of the larger Black community in Ontario, immigrants from Southern Africa
frequently encounter more difficulties because of their underrepresentation in social support and
resource allocation programs. When African immigrant populations are counted, these
immigrants—who are coming from places like Zimbabwe, South Africa, Botswana, Namibia,
Malawi and Mozambique—are less acknowledged, which results in a lack of specialized
resources and support. Consequently, people frequently become impoverished and homeless after
slipping through the gaps in Ontario’s housing system.
To close this gap, the Southern African Settlement Support Center is working hard. The group
offers community services, legal advocacy, and housing help that are specifically designed to
meet the needs of immigrants from Southern Africa. The organization promotes fair
representation in talks about housing policy because it acknowledges that these immigrants
confront obstacles not only because of their ethnic identity but also because they are an
underrepresented segment of the African diaspora. They work to ensure that everyone has
equitable access to affordable housing and that Southern Africans are taken into consideration
when choices are being made regarding resources and support networks.
The general housing issue that many marginalized groups in Canada are experiencing must be
acknowledged, but more urgently, attention must be paid to the unique difficulties that
immigrants from Southern Africa face. Through the inclusion of their perspectives in dialogues
regarding housing policy and resource allocation, Ontario may progress toward a fairer system
that caters to the distinct requirements of every immigrant. Ensuring that every community is
included in decision-making is crucial, especially the most marginalized groups affected by the
housing crisis.