One of the biggest consideration when migrating to Canada is finding a place to stay. For some of us, we have friends or relatives who can guide us and help us settle immediately after we land. For others, it is a blind leap of faith to secure a place to stay. When I first arrived in Canada in 2001, I was very fortunate enough to have a friend who was willing to take me and my family into his apartment in downtown Toronto. We were a family of five, and my friend had a tiny bachelor's pad. Therefore we decided that it will be myself, my wife and eldest son who will make the initial trip to Canada. We would secure a bigger place to rent just before my two other daughters arrive in a month's time. All the planning did little to prepare me for the challenges of securing a place to stay. The apartment vacancy rates in Toronto were close to 0%. Searching for an apartment meant calling several landlords only to find out that the availability of apartments were months away. I had two daughters and my sister-in-law arriving in less than 30
days and getting everyone into my friend's bachelor's pad was not possible. Stress levels were high. We were desperate to get a unit, let alone with 3 bedrooms available.
I had three places on my list to check out that were immediately available. The first unit was a 3 bedroom semi-detached house in a relatively clean neighborhood. The landlord was renting out the main floor, while she was living in the basement. It took me 45 minutes using public transit to reach this house from my friend's place in downtown Toronto. I had to travel to the end of the subway line, and then took another 10 minute bus ride. After getting off the bus, I had to walk a few more minutes until I finally found the house. Although I had 2 other units to check out that day, I felt compelled to decide and get this unit right away. It was the first unit I saw, but the thought of commuting another hour to check out another unit with the risk of losing this unit scared me. The neighborhood seemed nice and quiet. The unit was clean and had the 3 bedrooms we needed.
I convinced the landlord that I had strong prospects for employment, and I had cash in the bank that could pay for rent. Landlords of large apartment complexes are hard pressed to accept applicants without employment. They normally require a guarantor. In some cases, landlords were asking for six months to as much as one year of rent in advance. Yes this was illegal. But being new to the country, and no place to stay, most newcomers just turned a blind eye to this situation.
I then made the "executive decision" to sign a rental agreement without consulting my wife. (I did not have a cellphone at the time.) To this day, I would never hear the end of it from my wife about the story of our first home in Canada. We were barely one week in Canada with my wife who became immobile after we first landed due to complications with her pregnancy. (That is another story in itself.) However, for me it was nice place to start our life in Canada, and I felt secure with the thought that we will have a roof over our heads, especially when our 2 other kids arrive.
Prior to arriving in Canada, I had a vague idea of what it would take to find our first home. I had conversations and exchanged emails with my friend in Toronto who gave me advice and information. However, he urged that we should make those decisions about where to live once we arrive. I naturally like to research and plan prior to taking action. At the time, the internet did not have as much information for newcomers like myself to get acquainted with living conditions in Canada. I was quite pleased when I heard about the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation's (CMHC) program for Newcomers. Their website has many useful information that will help prepare and guide newcomers in their journey towards finding their place to stay in Canada. The most recent report by the CMHC at the time of this article shows that Toronto has a rental unit vacancy rate of 2.7% as of April 2010. The report also shows other major urban centers throughout Canada which will be useful for newcomers trying to gauge their prospects in other parts of the country. I am quite pleased with the CMHC for their efforts in putting together a program to help newcomers settle in Canada and I am hopeful that newcomers to Canada will have a more pleasant experience if finding their first home.
