Living Arrangements and Residential Overcrowding among Older Immigrants in Canada

Abstract

Because older immigrants arriving in Canada are not eligible for government transfer payments or welfare benefits for up to 10 years, many of them choose to live with their relatives or sponsors in crowded three- or more than three-generation households. Cultural preferences also influence this tendency and the propensity of immigrant groups from developing regions to live in three- or more than three-generation households ranges up to 18 times those of their Canadian-born and immigrant counterparts from the developed regions. Variables such as average income, percent receiving Old Age Security payments, percent widowed and duration of residence in Canada are significantly associated with proportions of immigrants living in such arrangements, and explain about 84 percent of birthplace variation for males and 81 percent for females.