Study measures housing insecurity among Black youth in Edmonton
A study of the housing experiences of Black youth in Edmonton has found some alarming vulnerabilities and a need for further research.
"Often in … underrepresented groups, we have to rely on evidence that has been maybe done in good faith, but often doesn't centre the voices that matter the most," said Funke Olokude of Hexagon Wellness, which conducted the study with the support of the Colbourne Institute for Inclusive Leadership at NorQuest College.
The study, called Navigating Home: Illuminating the Experiences of Black Youth in Edmonton, is based on 57 survey responses and 30 in-depth interviews with African, Caribbean, and Black Edmontonians between the ages of 18 and 29.
The study calculated housing security scores by asking participants a mixture of analytical and perception-based questions. Women and trans or non-binary respondents reported significantly less housing security than men, and 2SLGBTQIA+ respondents had lower scores than straight respondents.
One data point that stood out to researchers was that Black women living with their partners reported an average score of 39, not much higher than the score of 33 for women living in shelters.
"I was kind of shocked," Olokude told Taproot. "This is why I love research — now we've figured out something else that we need to untangle."
Lead researcher Brooke Leifso of the Colbourne Institute was surprised to find that Black youth had lower housing security scores the longer they had been in Canada.
"I thought that was an interesting determinant of health and approach," Leifso told Taproot. "(It's) something that needs to be looked at."
