Moving to Own: Mobility and Homeownership among Immigrants and the Native-Born

Ann H. Kim, York University
Shervan Vafa, York University

The purpose of this study is to examine how homeownership factors into locational decisions, focusing on differences between immigrants and the native-born. In particular, we examine the link between geographic mobility and housing tenure for the native- and foreign-born using Canadian data. As immigrants comprise diverse groups with different propensities for homeownership, we also disaggregate immigrant status according to place of birth and timing of arrival. Our analysis focuses on homeownership as an outcome of residential moves and its potential implications for immigrant integration using highly confidential microdata from the 2006 Canadian Census of Population, 20% sample.