Housing

Our affordable housing gives you and your family the opportunity to own or rent a home.  Our diverse landscape provides you with the choice of living near the beach, on a quiet rural farm, or in one of our active urban centres.

Types of Housing

• Apartment or suite: A unit in a building or house that is usually available for rent and has bedrooms, a kitchen, a bathroom and a living room
• Apartment building: Owned by a person who rents out individual suites.
• Condominium (condo): A suite in a building owned by one person or family.
• Duplex/townhouse: A house connected to another house that can be bought or rented.
• Mobile homes: Homes that can be moved from one place to another. Owners must also buy or rent the land to put a mobile home on.
• Room for rent: A room in a house or apartment where tenants share the kitchen, living room and bathroom.
• Room and board: A room and meals in a household. Furniture is included.
• Housing cooperative (co-op): Low-cost housing with waiting lists.

Our community has reasonable rental rates with inexpensive housing, for any family size.

Visit the Housing for Newcomers website to find out what you need to know when looking for, renting or buying a home.  Information is available in eight different languages.

Refugee Housing

If you are a Refugee and looking for transitional housing and resettlement assistance please contact one of the following Refugee Settlement Agencies.

Journey Home Community
Unit 105 - 6125 Sussex Avenue
Burnaby BC, V5H 4G1
Phone: 604.568.4892

Website: www.journeyhomecommunity.ca
Email: info@journeyhomecommunity.ca

Inland Refugee Society of BC
430 – 411 Dunsmuir
Vancouver, BC V6B 1X1
Phone: 778 328 8888

Website:  http://www.vcn.bc.ca/inland/
Email:  directservice_inland@vrsa.ca

Surrey has emerged as the primary destination for Government-Assisted Refugees (GARS) in Metro Vancouver. The City of Surrey partnered with Immigrant Services Society of BC to conduct a study on the housing experiences of refugees in Surrey. While rising housing prices in Metro Vancouver have made Surrey an attractive destination, the study indicates that the majority of GARs in Surrey live in housing that is both unaffordable and overcrowded. Links to the complete study and the report to Council summarizing the study are provided below.

At Home in Surrey? The Housing Experiences of Refugees in Surrey, B.C. (June 2009 Revision)
Summary of Study in Report to Council

The study noted that the current requirement to repay government transportation loans represents a significant burden to low income refugee families coming to Canada for a better life. One of the recommendations of the study was for the federal government to cease seeking repayment of transportation and pre-entry medicals costs for GARs coming to Canada.

Council Resolutions R09-1105 and R09-1106 on the Termination of the Transportation Loan Program for Refugees (see Item No. 4 under Section C. Committee Reports)