Invisible Journeys: Documenting the spatial and housing trajectories of homeless asylum seekers in Montréal

Homeless asylum seekers do not fit neatly into existing support options intended for the Canadian homeless population. As a result, they often rely on a limited number of community organizations and informal social networks to overcome housing challenges.

Understanding how these networks function is essential to developing effective, sustainable solutions to migrant homelessness in urban settings.

Project scope and expected outcomes

Understanding the journeys of homeless asylum seekers

This project will research how homeless asylum seekers in Montréal navigate the city and access support through formal and informal networks. It will document the range of support systems they use, including formal government assistance, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and formal and informal community-based supports.

The research will also help clarify the root causes of homelessness among asylum seekers and the specific barriers they face in securing housing and services.

Research to understand the asylum seeker experience

This qualitative research will gather data on the challenges, support gaps and policy issues affecting homeless asylum seekers. It will include interviews with:

• homeless asylum seekers
• representatives of NGOs in the field of homelessness
• neighbours in areas affected by homelessness
• officials from local and provincial levels of government

Respondents and researchers will also map past and present journeys to better understand housing pathways and experiences in urban space.

The project team will conduct an intensive review of academic publications, grey literature, government publications and select media publications. Government publications analyzed will include documents from:

• the City of Montréal
• CMHC
• Statistics Canada
• Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada

A reference for designing a more inclusive city

The primary objective of the project is to examine how homeless asylum seekers navigate Montréal’s urban landscape. By analyzing how individuals interact with the city’s networks of support, the research will inform more effective homelessness prevention strategies.

The research will also improve understanding of the dynamics that create homelessness, including the policies, practices, support systems and service gaps that contribute to housing obstacles.

This work aims to provide recommendations that improve housing access and services for homeless asylum seekers while supporting more inclusive approaches to urban planning and homelessness response.