Recent Immigrants in Metropolitan Areas: Montreal—A Comparative Profile Based on the 2001 Census

Part F: Housing

Crowded accommodations more common for recent immigrants

In Montreal, the number of persons per room in households of recent immigrants is well above the average for all households. As many as 22% of recent immigrant households live in crowded conditions (that is, there are more persons than rooms in the home). The incidence of crowding is even higher among households consisting only of very recent immigrants. By contrast, crowding is very rare among households of the Canadian-born and earlier immigrants.

Note: The total “All households” includes households of non-permanent residents not shown in the table. For definitions of household, crowding and related concepts, see the Glossary.

Large households likely to have crowded accommodations

Crowding is related to size of household. The larger the household, the greater the chance that there are more persons than rooms in the dwelling. This pattern is found among households of the Canadian-born as well as immigrants, despite the fact that there is much less crowding in households of the Canadian-born than in households of recent immigrants.

Note: The total “All households” includes households of non-permanent residents. For definitions of household, crowding and related concepts, see the Glossary.

As shown earlier, households of immigrants who landed before 1986 are similar to the households of the Canadian-born in size. They also have accommodations that are similar in size to that of the Canadian-born. This suggests that immigrants form large households and live in relatively crowded conditions for a period after their arrival, so as to keep the cost of accommodations down. But when economic circumstances permit, they split into smaller household units or move to more spacious accommodations. Households also become smaller when children of immigrants become adults and establish their own households.

One in three recent immigrant households face high housing costs

One in three recent immigrant households spends more than 30% of its income on accommodations, and for one in six the cost of accommodations exceeds 50% of income. Households consisting exclusively of very recent immigrants are even more likely to have high housing cost in relation to income. Of Canadian-born households, only one in four have housing cost in excess of 30% of income.

Note: The total “All households” includes households of non-permanent residents not shown in the table. For definitions of household and related concepts, see the Glossary. Totals do not add to 100% due to some non-reporting households.

Housing costs of more than 30% of income are considered burdensome, and households facing that level of cost as a rule have low incomes. Many households of recent immigrants have low incomes and try to keep the cost of accommodations down by choosing small quarters and making their households large. But often this is not enough to bring housing costs down to less than 30% of income.

Housing of very recent immigrants in somewhat poorer state of repair

The dwellings of households of immigrants who landed after 1985 were not built as recently as the houses of the Canadian-born. This is in contrast to the situation in Canada as a whole, where recent immigrant households are generally found to live in housing of the same or more recent vintage.

Note: The total “All households” includes households of non-permanent residents not shown in the table. For definitions of household and related concepts, see the Glossary.

The quality of the housing of recent immigrants is somewhat lower than that of the Canadian-born.

Note: The total “All households” includes households of non-permanent residents not shown in the table. For definitions of household and related concepts, see the Glossary.

Home ownership less common among recent immigrants

In Montreal, home ownership is rare among recent immigrants. While one-half of Canadian-born households own their residence, only one in ten households consisting exclusively of very recent immigrants do so. Nearly two in three households of immigrants who landed before 1986 own their home.

Figure F-1: Immigrant households (by period of immigration) and Canadian-born households—home ownership, by household type, Montreal Census Metropolitan Area, 2001 (percentage)

Note: For definitions of household and related concepts, see the Glossary.

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