Immigrants to the Prairies find housing search more difficult than the national average, survey finds

This story is part of Welcome to Canada, a CBC News series about immigration told through the eyes of the people who have experienced it.

Vinith and Deeksha Jain arrived in Saskatoon from India last year with high hopes for their new life in Canada, immediately applying for jobs and searching for an apartment.

But after months renting a room inside someone's house as their hunt for housing dragged on, the couple started doubting their decision to immigrate to Saskatchewan.

"We were really worried," Deeksha said. "I was feeling like we should give up and maybe we should go back to our home country."

The Jains faced a harsh reality in the housing market that many recent immigrants are reporting, along with concerns over the cost of living and the economy. In a new Pollara survey commissioned by CBC News, half of newcomers polled said they had trouble affording rent or housing when they first arrived.

A little more than 1,500 adult Canadian residents were surveyed online between Nov. 1 and 18, 2024. They all arrived in Canada in the past 10 years. The poll has a comparable margin of error of about 2.5 per cent.

About four in 10 people surveyed said they found it difficult to find any place in their new city, regardless of cost. Respondents on the Prairies reported even more difficulty with their housing search than the national average.

Almost two-fifths of newcomers across the country said they would consider moving to another province, mentioning concerns over the cost of living and housing.

The Jains came to Canada under Saskatchewan's immigrant nominee program, which selects newcomers with skills and experience in occupations that are in high demand in the province.

Vinith is an engineer and his wife, Deeksha, works in human resources. They expected to land jobs in their fields in Saskatoon, but struggled. Vinith eventually took a "survival job" at 7-Eleven to make ends meet.

As the couple tried to focus on the job hunt, building a social circle in their new community and settling in, the lack of adequate housing lingered.

As if Saskatoon's low-vacancy rates and rising rents weren't enough of a challenge, they also faced extra obstacles as recent immigrants. With no credit history in Canada, references or jobs, landlords kept rejecting their applications.

"It was a stressful time," Vinith said. "There was always a tension in the back of our mind that we need to get into some good and bigger accommodation so that we can prioritize and plan our future."

After about eight months, the Jains found a comfortable apartment with the help of a friend and landed jobs in their areas of expertise. But they worry the challenging housing market could lead to other newcomers falling victim to scams or being taken advantage of by landlords.