‘A Place to Call Home’: Housing Barriers Experienced by Migrant Households in Saskatchewan, Canada: A Critical Ethnographic Study

Housing is a critical social determinant of health, yet migrant households may experience barriers to accessing safe, adequate, affordable, and suitable housing. Evidence from Canadian provinces has identified economic, institutional, social, and housing-related barriers, but limited empirical research has examined how these barriers intersect within migrant households in Saskatchewan. Access to adequate and affordable housing is closely linked to health, well-being, and successful settlement. Given the limited empirical evidence on housing barriers faced by migrant families in Saskatchewan, this critical ethnographic study explored their multifaceted housing experiences. Data were collected from 2022 to 2024 through in-depth interviews with 25 migrant adults, one adult representing each participating household, supplemented by field observations of housing and neighbourhood contexts. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to examine participants’ accounts and contextual observations, informed by a critical realist orientation. Five empirically derived domains characterized participants’ housing experiences: individual/household, societal, environmental, organizational/housing system, and global contexts. Participants described how these interconnected barriers shaped housing access, affordability, stability, and suitability, contributing to stress and settlement-related challenges. The findings indicate that housing barriers experienced by migrant households in Saskatchewan are interconnected and shaped by economic, social, institutional, environmental, and broader structural conditions. The study highlights the importance of coordinated responses across housing, settlement, government and community systems to improve access to safe, affordable, suitable, and accessible housing. Meaningful involvement of migrant families in housing policy and program development may help ensure that responses reflect their experiences and priorities.