Difference in Housing Quality: Immigrants and non-immigrants in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver

The immigrant population in Canada has risen substantially during the last decades. This increase has produced some tension and raised questions about the institutional arrangements of the host society. In response to these tensions and questions, the government of Canada adopted a policy of multiculturalism in 1971 and promoted the constitutionalization of human rights through the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. This response was successful in terms of the evolution of the liberal democracy in Canada, the management of diversity and the building of an inclusive identity. However, it remains to be evaluated in relation to the struggle against discrimination and inequalities. While the response has already been evaluated in regard to employment, no evaluation has been undertaken regarding housing. This article tackles this issue through the decomposition of differences in the quality of housing for immigrants and non-immigrants in three metropolitan areas. The quality of housing is measured by the number of rooms per capita and is studied in relation to several variables to estimate the difference between populations. The results show a convergence in the situation in the three metropolitan areas and clearly reveal a difference in the quality of housing for immigrants and non-immigrants.