Racial and Ethnic Differentials across the Generations in Home Ownership and Housing Type

Monica Boyd, University of Toronto
Ann H. Kim, York University

Homeownership brings about social and economic benefits to individuals and families and is a preferred investment in market-based societies such as Canada. However, ownership rates are not uniform across social groups. Racial and ethnic disparities in owning a home have been noted in the literature, as have differences by immigrant generation. We bridge these two domains of inquiry by asking if these racial and ethnic differentials persist across generations that are successively removed from the immigration experience. Analysis of the 2001 Census of Canada Public Use Microdata File (PUMF) of Individuals finds interactions between racial and ethnic group membership and successive generations of immigrant offspring for both housing tenure and type of owned home. Condominiums may increasingly become a path to homeownership for racial and ethnic minorities and in particular, for the newcomers of these groups.