2014 York Region Newcomer Survey Report

Transcription

1 2014 York Region Newcomer Survey Report June, 2014

2 Introduction and Background The York Region Local Immigration Partnership conducted a survey between January to March 2014 on newcomers who lived in York Region and immigrated to Canada in the past 15 years. This report is a summary of the findings of the main report. The 2014 Newcomer Survey serves to update baseline measures from the 2010 Newcomer Survey (appendix 1) and has been expanded with additional sections on employment, housing, mental health, and civic engagement to devise additional baseline measures to support the implementation of York Region s Immigration Settlement Strategy. The purpose of the survey was to identify (1) the challenges faced during the settlement and integration process and when accessing programs and services, and (2) the opportunities to improve the settlement experience in order to inform current and future planning for newcomers who come to York Region. Methodology A Steering Committee including members of immigrant service agencies in York Region as well as York Region Local Immigration Partnership staff helped design the suvey. The survey was conducted using an online and in-person approach and was offered in five languages. To administer the surveys in person, a Community Animator model was employed and four individuals were hired to recruit participants and support them in completing the survey. The animators visited several locations each to conduct the survey including immigrant service agencies, cultural organizations, ethno-specific locations, schools, faith centres, libraries, and special events taking place within York Region A steering committee was formed to guide the development and administration of the survey and was involved in various aspects of the project including survey design, recruitment of community animators, promotion of the online and in person survey, and participant recruitment within their own agencies. This committee also reviewed the final report on survey findings. In total, 861 surveys were completed, with 459 completed online and 402 completed in person across 30 locations in York Region including Aurora, Newmarket, Vaughan, Richmond Hill, and Markham. Survey respondents participated voluntarily and could skip any question without penalty. 2

3 Demographics of Survey Respondents: Municipality of Residence in York Region - Place of Residence of Respondents Large proportion of survey respondents resided in the larger municipalities of Richmond Hill (42.4%), Markham (23.7%) and Vaughan (17.9%). Under 10 percent resided in Newmarket (8.4%) and Aurora (4.7%), and the remaining 3 percent in East Gwillimbury (1.3%), Georgina (0.6%), King (0.5%), and Whitchurch-Stouffville (0.6%). Period of Immigration -Period of Arrival in Canada A majority of respondents had lived in Canada either 3-5 years (23.5%) or 1-2 years (21.7%) Just over 20% of respondents resided in Canada for up to 12 months (20.9%), including 3.7% for less than 3 months. About one third of participants had lived in Canada for a longer period of time, either 6-10 years (16.2%) or years (17.8%). Age and Gender Females seemed to be overrepresented at two-thirds of survey respondents (63.3%), compared to about one third male respondents (36.7%). Regarding age groups: The majority of respondents were adults, with just over half in the age bracket (51.6%), Approximately one in four participants (24.3%) between years of age. Youth between years comprised 11.1% Seniors (60yrs+) 12.3% Region of Immigration Survey respondents were asked to indicate from where they immigrated. The largest respondent group immigrated from East Asia (35%), which includes countries such as China, Japan, Korea, and Hong Kong. A quarter of respondents immigrated from West Asia (25.8%), which includes countries such as Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, and other countries in the Middle East. A third of respondents immigrated from South Asia (21.4%) including countries like: India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Nepal. Less than 10 percent of respondents immigrated from other regions, including 7.5% from Europe, such as the Russian Federation, Germany, and Ukraine. Latin America (3.4%), South East Asia (3.4%), Africa (2%), and the Caribbean (1%) were the least represented. 3

4 1) Settlement Challenges Key Findings and Emerging Themes: 50.0% 45.0% 40.0% 35.0% 30.0% 25.0% 20.0% 15.0% 10.0% 5.0% 0.0% Figure 1: Top challenges faced when settling in York Region What challenges or problems have you faced settling in York Region? (N=827) 44.1% 42.7% 39.5% 21.6% 21.5% 20.7% 17.7% 17.7% 11.9% 4.5% 1.7% Survey respondents were asked about the top challenges they faced when settling in York Region. Language skills is the most frequently listed challenge by 44.1% of respondents, followed closely by employment (42.7%), and transportation (39.5%). About one in five participants also listed access to government services (21.6%), healthcare (21.5%), and housing (20.7%) as other barriers to the settlement process. Lack of social support was another challenge raised by 17.7% of respondents. School enrollment and discrimination are not seen as significant challenges (11.1% and 4.3% respectively). Notably, close to one fifth of respondents (17.7%) did not experience challenges settling in York Region. 4

5 2) Accessing Services and Supports Table 1: Comparison of use of services and supports by length of time in Canada (n= 767) Use of Services and Supports Less than 3 months Length of Time in Canada 3-12 months 1 2 years 3-5 years 6-10 years years Response Percent Yes 42.9% 72.9% 70.2% 50.3% 45.2% 36.2% 54.8% No 46.4% 21.1% 24.0% 40.4% 46.0% 55.8% 38.2% I don't know 10.7% 6.0% 2.2% 9.3% 8.9% 8.0% 7% Total # of respondents *Percentages were rounded and might not add up to 100% Table 1 indicates the use of services and supports differ based on the respondents length of time in Canada. Over half (55%) of respondents used services, programs, or supports, while 38% had not. Majority (68.9%) of respondents who arrived in Canada within the last 2 years had used services and supports. For those who arrived 3-5 years ago, the number of respondents who had (51.4%) or had not (40.4%) used services and supports was more balanced. Respondents who arrived 6-10 years were almost evenly split between users (45.2%) and non-users (46.0%) of settlement services and supports. For respondents who arrived years ago, a greater number had not (55.8%) used services and supports. 5

6 Satisfaction with Services and Supports Table 2: Satisfaction of services, programs, and supports Rating Percentage Level of Satisfaction Percentage (%) Services, Programs and Supports Very dissatisfied to Dissatisfied Neither satisfied or dissatisfied Satisfied to Very satisfied Counselling Services 7.6% 28.2% 64.1% Information and referrals 10.9% 30.7% 58.3% Education Services 8.3% 18.3% 73.3% Housing Services 21.3% 35.0% 43.7% Health Care Services 18.8% 20.2% 60.9% Mental Health Services 12.7% 47.9% 39.4% Support Canadian registration/forms/enrollments 9.7% 30.0% 60.3% Language Training 10.6% 20.1% 69.4% Canadian Justice System 8.3% 47.5% 44.2% Interpretation and Translation 10.8% 40.6% 48.6% Community programs/recreation/social groups 15.5% 28.2% 56.3% Employment Services 36.5% 33.5% 30% Survey respondents who had used services and supports rated their level of satisfaction. The services with the highest satisfaction rating percentages were education services (73.3%), language training (69.4%), counselling services (64.1%) and support to complete Canadian registration forms and enrollments for services (60.3%). Employment services received the lowest satisfaction rating percentage of 30%, indicating the greatest dissatisfaction with this service area. Newcomers access to services and supports Service users were asked to indicate where they received common services and supports. Welcome Centres were most frequently listed with a response rate of 70.8% followed by friends and family supports (60%) and government and community agencies (33.5%). Faith centres and cultural groups were selected by 33.1% of respondents. 6

7 Period in which Services and Supports are accessed Respondents further asked when they used services, programs, and supports the most, almost one half of respondents accessed services most frequently in their first year in Canada (26% in the first 6 months and 24% within first year). Problems obtaining services and supports Table 3: Challenges faced in obtaining services, programs, and supports Challenges obtaining services and supports Response Percent Language barriers 34.5% Delays/Long waiting lists 33.2% Lack of services I needed 17.9% Lack of information about services 17.9% No accessible transportation 16.4% Location 13.1% Service hours were not convenient 12.8% Services were too expensive 12.8% Limited or no childcare 10.8% Ineligible (not qualified) for services 6.4% I don't know 5.1% Not culturally appropriate 5.1% Discrimination 3.8% Buildings not accessible for physically disabled 1.1% No problems 26.8% Other (please specify) 1.8% For this question, participants could choose multiple answers resulting in a total that exceeds 100. Respondents were asked to indicate challenges they experienced in obtaining services and support (see Table 3). The top challenges indicated by about one in three respondents were language barriers (34.5%), and the delays or long waiting lists for service (33.2%). Over one fourth (26.8%) experienced no problems. Under one fifth of respondents listed other services, the most frequent being the lack of services to meet needs (17.9%), lack of information about services (17.9%), and lack of accessible transportation (16.4%). In 2010, newcomers surveyed in York Region noted the top challenges to be language, lack of information and location of services (see appendix 1, figure 1). 7

8 1) Welcome Centres Figure 2: Familiarity with Welcome Centre services Have you ever accessed services at a Welcome Centre? 32% 4% Yes -64% No - 32% I don t know - 4% 64% Figure 3: Satisfaction with Welcome Centre services How satisfied are you with the services at the Welcome Centre? (N=505) Very satisfied Satisfied 13% 5% 1% 25% Neither satisfied or dissatisfied Dissatisfied Very dissatisfied 56% All survey respondents, including those who had not previously used services and supports, were asked if they had ever accessed a Welcome Centre. The large number (64%) had used Welcome Centres (see Figure 2), and the majority of users expressed satisfaction (56%) or high satisfaction (25%) with these services (see Figure 3). A very small number of respondents expressed dissatisfaction with Welcome Centre services (6%). 8

9 2) Employment This section further explores employment challenges faced by newcomers in York Region. Employment Status Survey respondents were first asked about their employment status. Over half of respondents are unemployed (54.6%), of which 32.6% are seeking work and 22% are not. Another one in five respondents are employed full-time. A smaller number are either working part-time (11.2%), self-employed (7.7%), or working 2 or more jobs (2.1%). Employment Suitability Employed respondents were asked to rate how well their job matched their work experience/skills using a Likert rating scale. 53.6% of respondents felt their job matched their experience or skills. 25.9% of respondents felt there wasn t a match between their job and skill areas. Employment Services and Training activities Table 4: Services and activities participated in Canada related to employment Answer options Employment support services (job search, resume/interview preparation) Response Percent 36.6% Volunteering 35.1% Enhanced language training 28.5% None 15.9% College degree 14.2% Accreditation/licensure services 13.1% Bridge training programs 10.2% Self-employment or business 6.6% development programs/training University degree 6.3% Mentoring/internship programs 6.1% I don't know 4.5% Apprenticeship programs 1.3% Other 1.9% For this question, participants could choose multiple answers resulting in a total that exceeds

10 All survey respondents were asked what kind of employment training or services they had used in Canada (Table 4). The largest number of respondents had utilized employment support services to help with their job search and resume/interview preparation (36.6%) or volunteered (35.1%). The third most common response was enhanced language training (28.5%). Challenges faced in finding suitable employment Table 5: Challenges faced in finding a job that matches experience and skills? (N=606) Challenges Response Percent Lack of Canadian experience 57.3% Language barriers 38.3% Recognition of credentials 32.3% Lack of training 23.8% Not getting interviews 23.4% Lack of funds to update my training 22.6% No help to find an alternative career 15.8% Lack of child care 14.4% Cultural barriers 11.1% I don't know how to find work in Canada 11.1% Discrimination 6.8% None 4.0% For this question, participants could choose multiple answers resulting in a total that exceeds 100. Survey respondents were also asked about the challenges they faced in finding a job that matched their experience and skills (Table 5). The primary challenge for the majority (57.3%) was their lack of Canadian experience that impeded their ability to find employment. Language barriers were the second most common challenge listed (38.3%). The third most common challenge was the recognition of foreign credentials (32.3%) 10

11 3) Housing 60% 50% Figure 4: Type of housing and affordability 51% 40% 30% 20% 10% 34% 18% 8% 11% 12% 4% 6% 4% 5% 33% 16% Owned Rental Multi-Family 0% Affordable Not affordable I don't know Total Survey respondents were asked what kind of housing they lived in (owned, rental, or multifamily households), and if it was affordable (Figure 4). A significant number of respondents (60%) found their housing to be affordable. Only 26% found their housing not affordable. More than half of respondents owned their homes (59.3%). 40% lived in rental housing, which was considered affordable by more than half (53.4%) and unaffordable by about one third of respondents (35%). About one in five respondents (19.2%) lived in multi-family households, (48.2%) found their multi-family housing affordable, while (22.3%) found theirs unaffordable. Another 14% of respondents were unsure whether their housing was affordable or not. 11

12 Finding Rental Housing Figure 5: Finding Rental Housing How easy is it for newcomers to find rental housing in York Region? (N=754) 24% 7% 6% 16% Very Easy Easy Okay Difficult 47% Respondents were also asked to rate how easily rental housing was found in York Region (Figure 5). Almost half of respondents (47%) found it okay to find rental housing 31% of respondents answered that rental housing was difficult to access 4) Mental Health Services 60.0% 50.0% 40.0% 30.0% 20.0% 10.0% 0.0% Figure 6: Mental health concerns experienced by newcomers What type of mental health concerns might newcomers experience? (N=791) 59.3% 56.8% 50.0% 45.1% 8.8% 8.5% 5.7% 5.6% 3.3% 1.3% 12

13 Survey respondents were asked what type of mental health concerns newcomers might experience (Figure 6). Stress, loneliness, and depression were the three primary concerns listed by a large number of respondents, 59.3%, 56.8%, and 50% respectively. Anxiety was the next most common response by 45.1% of respondents. A small proportion of respondents (8.5%) did not feel any mental health concerns were experienced by newcomers or they were unsure (8.8%). Table 6: Why do you think newcomers have difficulty finding mental health services? (N=758) Answer Options Response Percent Don't know where to go 39.2% Don't know 25.3% Not part of their culture 24.8% Could not find someone who speaks their language 23.6% Embarrassment to family 21.4% Long wait times for access 20.6% Don't have time 19.5% Stigma/judgment 18.2% Fear of being isolated by their community 17.5% Need to put other family member's needs before theirs 17.5% Lack of culturally appropriate services 16.5% Could not get referral to a mental health service 12.0% Other 1.6% Respondents were also asked why newcomers might have difficulty finding mental health services (Table 6). The key barrier for respondents was not knowing where to go to find mental health services (39.2%). The second and third most common difficulties were the lack of acknowledgement of mental health issues in one s culture (24.8%) and language barriers with service providers (23.8%). About one in five respondents felt that embarrassment to one s family (21.4%), long wait times (20.6%), and lack of time to address mental health concerns (19.5%) were other barriers to accessing mental health services. Other cultural or emotional barriers raised were stigma/judgement (18.2%), fear of being isolated by one s community (17.5%), putting other family members needs first (17.5%), and the lack of culturally appropriate services (16.5%). Getting referrals to mental health services was the least common challenge for respondents (12%). It should be noted that one in four respondents did not know what difficulties were faced in finding mental health services (25.3%). 13

14 In 2012, factors that affected newcomers mental health included: employment, language and loss of social networks such as family and friends. Stress, depression and anxiety were the most common mental health concerns identified by newcomer (please see appendix 1, figure 2). 5) Sense of Belonging Survey participants were asked why they chose to move to the community where they currently reside. A large portion said that they came to York Region to live in a safe community for their family (42.9%). And the second most common response was to be close to family or close friends (38.1%), followed by a good education for the family (33.4%). Figure 7: Sense of Belonging Do you feel that you belong in the community where you live? (N=824) Yes Sometimes Not Sure No 10.6 With regards to sense of belonging, Figure 7 reveals: Overall, many participants did report a feeling of connectedness to their community; however a strong sense of belonging was only felt by about one third of respondents. A large number of participants felt very connected (36.3%) or sometimes connected (31.6%) to their community. A small proportion felt disconnected (10.5%) The respondents were also surveyed on their sense of belonging varied based on when they had arrived in Canada. Respondents who arrived 3-5 years ago felt the strongest sense of belonging to the community where they live, followed by those who arrived years ago. Respondents who arrived 3-12 months ago felt least connected, followed by those who arrived 3-12 months ago. 14

15 6) English Language Ability Survey respondents were asked to rate their English language ability on a scale of 1-5. The rating averages were between 3.14 (Speaking and Writing) to 3.42 (Reading) The largest number of respondents felt their speaking, reading, and writing skills were good (27.5%, 21.4%, and 20.0% respectively). 7) Immigration Status and Civic Engagement This section explores the immigration status and civic engagement of respondents. Figure 8: Immigration Status The survey respondents were asked about their current immigration status (Figure 8), majority (61.8%) were permanent residents and less than one third were Canadian citizens (29.7%). Followed by a very small number of temporary residents (5.3%), refugee claimants (1.6%) and undocumented (.1%). According to Statistics Canada information from 2011 to 2006, 30 percent of newcomers became Canadian Citizens in 2011; whereas in 2006, this dropped to 25 percent (see appendix 1, figure 4). 15

16 Table 7: Have you ever voted in Canada for the following government elections? Elections Yes No Response Count Municipal Provincial Federal Table 19 reveals that a large number of participants with citizenship voted in a Municipal (58.7%), Provincial (60.8%), and Federal (57.4%) elections. Table 8: Reasons for not voting Reason Percent Response Not know how to vote 30.9% Ineligible to vote 27.7% Being out of the country at the time of elections 10.6% Lack of transportation to voting sites 7.4% Lack of political engagement and interest 7.4% Unfamiliarity with the political candidates 5.3% 16

17 Appendix 1: Appendix 1 refers to the baseline measures from the Turning the Curve Indicator report of 2012 measuring the well-being of newcomers living in York Region. Baseline Measure 1: Newcomers ability to access programs Figure 1 In 2010, newcomers and organizations surveyed in York Region showed similarities in what they perceived as barriers to accessing programs/services. The top challenges for both were language, lack of information and location. In 2014, the top challenges indicated by about one in three respondents were language barriers and the delays or long waiting lists for service. Baseline Measure 2: Mental health of newcomers Figure 2 17

18 Figure 3 In 2012, factors that affected newcomers mental health included employment, language and loss of social networks such as family and friends. Stress, depression and anxiety were the most common mental health concerns. Language and lack of information are the most common barriers to accessing mental health services. In 2014, stress, loneliness, and depression were the three primary concerns listed by a large number of respondents. Key barriers to accessing mental health services were: not knowing where to go to, the lack of acknowledgement of mental health issues, and language barriers with service providers. Baseline Measure 4: Newcomer population with Canadian Citizenship Figure 4 In 2001, 30 percent of newcomers became Canadian Citizens; whereas in 26, this dropped to 25 percent. In 2014, one third of respondents were Canadian citizens. 18