Summary of findings
| Framework level | Key findings | GRADE-CERQual assessment | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Confidence in the evidence | Explanation | ||
| Discrimination | Systemic racism: Refugees experienced individual and systemic racism, which exacerbated housing instability. Many refugees felt they were turned away from housing and emergency shelters because of their ethnicity, use of welfare cheques, history of trauma, language of origin, temporary resident status and the presence of children. | Low | Moderate concerns for methodological limitations and adequacy, and no-to-minor concerns for coherence and relevance. |
| Mental health | Mental health concerns: Lived experience of trauma and housing insecurity resulted in persistent psychological distress and mental health concerns. | Moderate | Very minor concerns for methodological limitations, no-to-very minor concerns for coherence, relevance and adequacy. |
| Social networks and support | Finding an advocate: Refugees who sought a culturally familiar community advocate were able to increase their social capital. Advocates included settlement counsellors and cultural brokers. These advocates were able to help refugees transition out of homelessness by providing social support, a place to stay and other resources. | High | Minor concerns for methodological limitations, no-to-very minor concerns for coherence, relevance and adequacy. |
| Services: health and housing | Poor access to services: Refugees and other migrants, particularly undocumented migrants, failed asylum seekers and those with humanitarian protection, are often unaware of support services and find them difficult to access and navigate. | Moderate | Minor concerns for methodological limitations, no-to-very minor concerns for coherence, relevance and adequacy. |
| Unsafe housing: Refugees and other migrants perceived the housing options available to them as unsafe, poorly managed and unaffordable. | High | Minor concerns for methodological limitations, very minor-to-minor concerns for relevance and no-to-very minor concerns for coherence and adequacy. | |
| Family structure | Facing a family separation: Several vulnerably housed refugees expressed difficulties learning a new culture, and parents struggled with the ability of their children to balance a new culture and the culture of their country of origin. This family conflict led to a loss of family support, which is a protective factor against homelessness. | Low | Moderate concerns for methodological limitations and relevance, no-to-very minor concerns for coherence and adequacy. |
| Income | Insufficient income assistance: Refugees and other migrants reported strained finances and inadequate financial support that led to difficulty meeting basic needs, housing insecurity and food instability. | Low | Moderate concerns for methodological limitations and relevance, no-to-very minor concerns for coherence and adequacy. |
| Immigration status | Impact of immigration status: Compared with status migrants, nonstatus migrants faced substantial barriers, such as limited rights to welfare, prohibition from taking up paid employment and rejection from shelter access. | Low | Serious concerns for methodological limitations, moderate concerns for relevance and no-to-very minor concerns for coherence and adequacy. |
| Language | Lack of language skills impeding access: Limited language skills among refugees impeded their ability to access most services, including housing services, and limited their social capital and connections beyond their original community. | Moderate | Moderate concerns for methodological limitations, no-to-minor concerns for coherence, adequacy and relevance. |
| Outlier | Adopting survival and coping strategies: Refugees and other migrants who faced insecure housing instability adopted survival and coping strategies that helped them to advocate for resources and develop a sense of belonging in their new community. | Moderate | Moderate concerns for relevance, no-to-minor concerns for coherence, relevance and adequacy. |
Note: GRADE-CERQual = Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation Confidence in the Evidence from Reviews of Qualitative.