Community Knowledge Centre - Toronto Community Foundation

Impact on Toronto:

Toronto is a city of immigrants, and yet our city offers newcomers an uncertain and often poor quality of life. For newcomers, ours can be a difficult and stressful city in which to find and hold a job, or rent or buy a home.

Why it matters:

Success for our newcomers is vital to Toronto’s future wellbeing. For recent immigrants to our city, that means obtaining employment, affordable housing, and strong social supports.
• Recent immigrants are three times more likely to have lost jobs in the economic downturn than their Canadian-born colleagues.
• 60% of recent immigrant homeowner households were spending more than 30% of their income on housing in 2006.
• Immigrants generally arrive in Canada in good health, yet after being in Canada for over 10 years, 45% of them were overweight or obese in 2005.
• 77% of Torontonians believe the federal government should assist the City of Toronto to help immigrants settle.