Some Ukrainians refugees returning home due to K-W housing crisis: grassroots group
An organization that helps Ukrainian refugees resettle in Waterloo region says some are having so much trouble finding housing in Canada, they're opting to return to the war-torn country.
"Finding a place to stay is very close to another issue, finding a job," said Anzhelika Khven, a Ukrainian who moved to Canada last year. "These two things are very time consuming."
Khven was able to resettle, living with a host family in Waterloo region, but said not everyone fleeing the Russian invasion of Ukraine has had the same luck in Canada. It's something Waterloo Region Grassroots Response is seeing firsthand.
The volunteer-led organization is raising alarm over difficulty securing housing, claiming an increasing number of Ukrainian newcomers are facing homelessness upon arrival.
"People are arriving at the airport or have been in the government assisted hotels or shelter for two weeks and they didn't know where else to go. They felt they were going to become homeless," said Stephanie Goertz, an organizer with Waterloo Region Grassroots Response.
"When they come here, it's such a shocking culture change and everything is so car dependent that it's extremely hard, and so, many of them do consider going back, even though it's not safe."
Waterloo Region Grassroots Response helped 45 families resettle in March, but doesn't have exact figures for the number of families who may have decided to go back to Ukraine after arriving.
While Goertz calls Ottawa's decision to extend a temporary emergency visa program for Ukrainians a good step, she said it doesn't solve the shelter challenge.
"There's a huge gap of what the settlement services actually offer and what is actually needed to make a long-term sustainable life in Ontario," Goertz said.
Meanwhile for those who are able to find a home in Canada, there are new possibilities, far away from the strife they left.
“You never know what’s going to happen, so we’ve decided because of our daughter that we need to do our best to give her a safe future,” Khven said.
As housing challenges persist, the need for host families continues to grow. Waterloo Region Grassroots Response is looking to scale their efforts to Guelph and asking anyone who is interested in becoming a host to contact them.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Rainfall warnings of up to 80 mm among weather alerts in effect for 6 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres and other alerts have been issued for six Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Bus plunges off a bridge in South Africa, killing 45 people. An 8-year-old child is only survivor
A bus carrying worshippers headed to an Easter festival plunged off a bridge on a mountain pass and burst into flames in South Africa on Thursday, killing at least 45 people, authorities said.
Calgary bridges remain closed due to ongoing police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.