The housing pathways of new immigrants

Aims

The research, funded by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, explores the arrival experiences and settlement stories of new immigrants.

Methodology

The project team worked in partnership with six community researchers to complete in-depth interviews with 39 new immigrants living in Sheffield during 2006 and 2007. Interviews were conducted with 10 Liberian, 10 Pakistani, 10 Polish and 9 Somali new immigrants.

Key issues

The research focuses on the housing experiences of new immigrants and considers the consequences of their arrival for local housing markets and neighbourhoods. The report provides a detailed examination of how arrival experiences are determined by immigration status, associated legal rights and related opportunities. New immigrants fill voids in housing stock; poor housing conditions are associated with temporary accommodation; long-term accommodation may be insecure; and developing an affiliation to place is important. Issues of access to the housing market and residential spaces that new immigrants enter are discussed alongside analyses of the consequent policy challenges.

Conclusions

Over time some new immigrants were able to exercise greater choice about where they lived, but this was often dependent upon the support and assistance of friends, relatives and community-led services.