Housing And Social Services -- A 'Nightmare' For Some Immigrants

Downtown locations for many of the social service and training opportunities immigrants need may no longer make sense in rapidly-growing cities such as Calgary.

1 minute read

March 16, 2006, 5:00 AM PST

By Michael Dudley


"In a place where a teeny inner-city bungalow is listed for $400,000, almost every prospective homeowner is priced out of Calgary's surging real-estate market. But the housing crunch is even more acute -- and can be even more devastating -- for those who are also trying to adjust to life in Canada.

'The cost of housing has been increasing steadily,' says Hadassah Ksienski, chief executive officer of the Calgary Immigrant Aid Society. 'Affordable housing is limited to the suburbs.'

While the suburban lifestyle is the dream for many Canadians, for newcomers to Calgary it can be a nightmare. The services they need are far from where they live.

Skills upgrading and language-training programs they need in order to land jobs here are overwhelmingly located downtown, Ms. Ksienski says. The city's light-rail transit system, which is free downtown, is a help for those struggling to make ends meet. But public transit outside the core comes at a cost, and the routes haven't kept up in a place that has developed a reputation as a city of suburbs that caters to a car culture."

Tuesday, March 14, 2006 in The Globe and Mail

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Worker in yellow safety vest and hard hat looks up at servers in data center.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power

Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

July 18 - Inside Climate News

Former MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood standing in front of MARTA HQ with blurred MARTA sign visible in background.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns

MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

July 18 - WABE

Rendering of proposed protected bikeway in Santa Clara, California.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant

A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

July 17 - San José Spotlight